Posted to Inform, Child Support Enhancement Proposal

[MYSONSDAD]

Enhance Child Support Enforcement

Overview

Child support enforcement is an important component of the Federal
and state effort to promote family self-sufficiency. For the low-
income families who receive it, child support makes up a significant
portion of the family budget (26 percent). Moreover, families that
receive child support are less likely to return to TANF.

The 1996 welfare reform law included the most extensive child support
reforms ever enacted. These include new information systems to help
locate parents who owe child support, automatic income withholding
from paychecks, driver and professional license revocation, and other
administrative tools. As shown by increased collection amounts and
rates, these reforms have been a great success. Since 1995,
collections have increased by nearly 50 percent, rising by over $1
billion a year.

The 1996 reforms also streamlined paternity establishment,
particularly voluntary paternity establishment, to encourage fathers
to take the first step toward providing their children with financial
and emotional support. These provisions have also been extremely
successful. Paternity was established in more than 1.5 million cases
in FY 1999, a 60 percent increase from 1995. Paternity is now
established through in-hospital acknowledgment in nearly half of all
non-marital births.

The Administration's proposal continues rigorous enforcement of child
support obligations while targeting additional child support
collections to the families with greatest need. Under current law,
states and the Federal Government can retain most payments on overdue
child support for families in which the mother is or has been on
welfare. The Administration's proposal gives states financial
incentives to increase the amount of collections on over-due child
support given to families, especially families that have left
welfare. When fully implemented, the proposal will provide annual
payments of more than $280 million to more than 230,000 families that
have left welfare, thereby helping them maintain their independence
from welfare. In addition, fathers will know that when they pay child
support, their families will benefit; their children will know that
they are being supported by both of their parents. A major research
study in Wisconsin has shown that when TANF families receive the
child support paid on their behalf, fathers are more likely to pay
child support and to pay more child support.

Summary of Proposals

Provide Federal Matching Funds for Child Support Pass-Through
Payments to Families That Currently Receive TANF. Although the state
and Federal Governments generally retain child support collected on
behalf of families that receive TANF, almost half of the states give
TANF families some of the support collected on their behalf. Building
upon this state practice, the Administration proposes Federal
matching for states to provide up to the greater of $100 per month or
$50 over the current state pass through to families that receive TANF
(starting in October 2004). This support must be ignored for purposes
of calculating a family's eligibility for TANF.

Encourage States to Give Families That Once Received Welfare All of
the Child Support Collected on Their Behalf. The Administration
proposal will simplify child support distribution rules to give
states the option of providing families that have left welfare the
full amount of child support collected on their behalf. This policy,
which will be effective beginning October 2004, stipulates that the
Federal Government will share costs with the states.

Require States to Regularly Review and Adjust Child Support Orders
for Families That Currently Receive TANF. This proposal will require
states to review child support orders for TANF families every three
years. This mandatory review and, if necessary, modification of child
support orders will increase the amount of payment required, which in
turn will boost collections in welfare cases.

Collect a User Fee from Families That Have Never Received Welfare.
This proposal will require families that have never used TANF to pay
a $25 annual user fee (effective FY 2003) when child support
enforcement efforts on their behalf are successful. Families that are
receiving TANF assistance are already asked to contribute some or all
of their child support to offset part of the cost of the child
support enforcement efforts made on their behalf. The Federal and
state governments will share this revenue.

Lower the Threshold for Passport Denial. The Administration proposes
lowering the threshold for passport denial to $2,500 in past-due
support, effective FY 2004. This policy will optimize the use of the
successful provision established by the 1996 reforms that granted the
authority to deny a passport to anyone owing over $5,000 of past-due
child support.

Withhold Limited Social Security Benefits. This proposal will expand
the Federal administrative offset program to allow states to collect
past-due child support by withholding a limited amount of Social
Security Disability Insurance payments from beneficiaries in
appropriate cases. Benefits must exceed $760 a month in order to be
subject to withholding.




"Children learn what they live"

[reagantrooper]

I am so fed up with this crap! How/ why do we permitt this BS? What about those of us who PAY the sudo CP support? Whats it going to take for our voice to be heard?

Every pay stub I get, I get to see the $400 or so come out and be sent to the CP and thats it. All I see is it going bye bye I dont see any acount of it. Then I get to purchase my Daughter what she needs out of my pocket because her mom dosent have the $$$$$$$$$.

Just Bull Shit!

Then if I want to change jobs lets say to a artist or somthing that I want to do but cant support the "child support" payments I go to jail. Sounds a lot like slavery to me!

End of rant!

[MYSONSDAD]

This was posted from the Bush people...

My rant...
BOTH parents should be responsible financially.

Statistics show CS is already well over what it takes to provide for the children.

Many NCP's have to move back in with parents or get a roommate just to make ends meet and put food on the table. Many NCP's are paying well over 50%.

When I receive our son, he comes with the clothes on his back, nothing more. I supply everything he needs, and then some, while in my care. Insurnace is covered by me, I do all the driving. I have a room full of toys, furniture, books, clothing and all neccessities. I pay out of my pocket. She does not even send medication when prescribed. Maybe I should make an itemized list of all of the things she does not supply. After calculating all additional expenses, I am currently at 76% in CS.

There are times he has no coat, no shoes. I keep extra items in my car for those situations.

I also have a college fund set up for the future. She does not contribute.

I use Optimal and have it both ways, the traditional with just incoming money and CS, 29%. But another with mileage and what I purchase separetly on my own, 76%. And that is without the insurance, unless paid out of my own pocket. I have to keep a minimum of so many hours worked to keep the insurance current.

I am with you, fighting back, step by step. It is slavery in the worst form.


"Children learn what they live"

[lookinnomore]

preach on brother, child support orders and what it takes to raise kids is totally different.  What a man pays for support and what a woman pays for support are totally different.  

The ground should be leveled, but HOW?

[MYSONSDAD]

Everyone working on it one day at a time...

"Children learn what they live"

[stepma]

Does a 50/50 parenting plan still involve child support??