GAO report on the practices of private child support collection firms and state child support enforcement (CSE) agencies.
Specific objectives include: (1) obtain information on the amount of child support owed and how it has changed in recent years; (2) identify the number and kinds of entities that can collect child support and compare the characteristics of private child support collection firms with those of state agencies; (3) compare the private firms’ and state agencies’ collection experiences, information sources, and collection practices; (4) compare the enforcement tools available to private firms and state agencies; and (5) determine whether state agencies provide information requested by private firms.
