
AUTHOR: Andrew Phifer
The child support program was established in 1975, and the program has evolved a lot over the past 48 years to meet the changing needs of families. It started out recovering public assistance costs and has evolved to focus on the family. In fact, the federal office recently changed its name to the Office of Child Support Services to reflect its commitment to serving and supporting the needs of the whole family.
In honor of Child Support Awareness Month in August, here are five things from FY2022 (PDF) that you should know about the child support program:
- It collected billions of dollars in child support: The program collected $30.5 billion in child support—this kind of support helps children and families thrive.
- It’s steady and dependable: 72% of child support was collected by income withholding, providing steady dependable income.
- It’s very efficient: The program operates with remarkable efficiency, collecting $4.73 for every dollar spent on the program. This makes it one of the most cost-effective government programs.
- It served 1 in 5 children nationwide: The child support program served 12.8 million children—that’s 1 in 5 children in the United States.
- It includes 60 tribal programs: The 60 tribes that operate a child support program collected over $50 million for families. These tribal child support programs help lift families out of poverty by providing services in a manner that is consistent with tribal values and cultures.
Want to share these and other facts? Visit our Child Support Awareness Month page that has sample social media posts, graphics, virtual backgrounds, and more.
Get the latest child support data by subscribing to our Analyze This data blog. You can also sign up to get our monthly Child Support Report newsletter and Commissioner’s Voice blog.