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Determinants Of Child Support: A Pilot Survey Of Absent Parents

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  • FREYA L. SONENSTEIN
  • CHARLES A. CALHOUN

Abstract

The proportion of children living in single‐parent households has risen dramatically during the past two decades. Approximately half of these children live in poverty. A major factor in this impoverishment is non‐custodial parents'failure to provide child support. Much is known about child support behavior from the custodial parent's perspective, but little research has focused on the noncustodial parent's perspective. The Survey of Absent Parents (SOAP) was initiated to remedy this gap. This paper describes the results of the SOAP pilot survey of linked custodial and non‐custodial parents in three counties in Florida and three counties in Ohio. It reports the results of multivariate analyses of the predictors of (i) child support award levels, (ii) child support payments as reported by custodial and non‐custodial parents, and (Hi) compliance with child support awards as reported by custodial and non‐custodial parents. The results indicate that custodial and non‐custodial parents have very different perspectives on how much child support is paid. The main factors predicting payments across these two populations are (i) the non‐custodial parent's situation measured by his current income and marital status, (ii) the custodial parent's situation measured by her current income–excluding child support payments–and marital status, (Hi) program interventions such as formulas used to set award levels, payment through the court, and wage withholding, and (iv) the warmth of the relationships between the former partners and between the father and the child.

Suggested Citation

  • Freya L. Sonenstein & Charles A. Calhoun, 1990. "Determinants Of Child Support: A Pilot Survey Of Absent Parents," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 8(1), pages 75-94, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:8:y:1990:i:1:p:75-94
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.1990.tb00583.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robins, Philip K, 1986. "Child Support, Welfare Dependency, and Poverty," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(4), pages 768-788, September.
    2. Andrea Beller & John Graham, 1986. "Child support awards: Differentials and trends by race and marital status," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 23(2), pages 231-245, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vogel, Lisa Klein, 2020. "Help me help you: Identifying and addressing barriers to child support compliance," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    2. Chen, Yiyu & Meyer, Daniel R., 2017. "Does joint legal custody increase child support for nonmarital children?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 547-557.
    3. Vogel, Lisa Klein, 2020. "Barriers to meeting formal child support obligations: Noncustodial father perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. H. Peters & Laura Argys & Eleanor Maccoby & Robert Mnookin, 1993. "Enforcing divorce settlements: Evidence from child support compliance and award modifications," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 30(4), pages 719-735, November.
    5. Pedro Hernandez & Andrea Beller & John Graham, 1995. "Changes in the Relationship Between Child Support Payments and Educational Attainment of Offspring, 1979–1988," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 32(2), pages 249-260, May.
    6. D. R. Meyer & J. Bartfeld, "undated". "Compliance with child support orders in divorce cases," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 1043-94, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.
    7. I. Lin, "undated". "Perceived Fairness and Compliance with Child Support Obligations," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 1150-97, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.
    8. Robert I. Lerman & Elaine Sorenson, 2003. "Child Support: Interactions between Private and Public Transfers," NBER Chapters, in: Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, pages 587-628, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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