Retooling Welfare
The 1996 welfare reform law--which set a five-year time limit on how long people can receive public aid--put in place these new child support enforcement tools:
- Required states to automate child support records to streamline and simplify tracking noncustodial parents.
- Created the National Directory of New Hires and Federal Case Registry, both fed by state data systems, to help locate parents who owe support and have fled the state which issued the child support order.
- Gave states authority to revoke driver's and professional licenses of parents who refuse to pay support.
- Required custodial parents to cooperate in establishing paternity or risk losing some cash assistance.
- Required states to adopt the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which establishes uniform rules, procedures and forms for interstate cases.
Child Support Vital Stats
In fiscal 1996, the national child support program had 7.4 million active welfare-related cases and 9.3 million nonwelfare cases. Only 20 percent of the cases received at least one payment. Here are the highlights:
% Change from FY 1995
| Program cost | $3.1 billion | 1.4% |
| Total collections | $12.0 billion | 11.0 |
| Welfare-related collections | $2.6 billion | 6.2 |
| Nonwelfare collections | $9.2 billion | 12.6 |
| Paternities established | 718,152 | 8.9 |
| Support orders established | 1.1 million | 2.9 |
| Absent parents located | 5.8 million | 16.8 |
Note: Numbers may not total due to rounding
Source: Office of Child Support Enforcement
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