From the Institute for Research on Poverty and researchers at Columbia University, this article provides information on the status of low-income men. Since the mid-1970s, wages and labor force participation has been decreasing for young, lesser educated men. In this piece, authors examine how key income-security policy areas, including unemployment insurance, payroll taxes and the Earned Income Tax Credit, and child support enforcement, affect this population.

Much of the success of the Federal child support program is contingent upon the ability or willingness of noncustodial parents (NCPs) to provide financial support for their children. As a result, the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has an established track record of supporting demonstration and research projects focused on testing innovative program practices that enable NCPs to assume personal responsibility (financial and emotional) for their children. The purpose of this report is three-fold: 1) to disseminate information to the child support program and research community-at-large regarding State or local experiences in working with NCPs, 2) to share information on successes or lessons learned resulting from implementing these program interventions, and 3) to provide potential or future OCSE grantees with a baseline of information regarding projects that have been funded to date.

While the child support program has been recently successful in supporting low-income single parents, many single parents still do not receive child support. Child support can often be a vital financial resource for families in poverty. In this study, researchers look at the effect of child support debt on nonresident fathers’ child support payments and formal earnings in Wisconsin.

The interaction between child support and TANF is vital for the success of not only each program, but also, and more importantly, each client’s success. As a result, Welfare Peer TA sponsored a Focus Group in Anaheim, California called “TANF/Child Support Enforcement Collaboration.” The Focus Group emphasized the need for collaboration between the child support enforcement and TANF agencies, and the need for solutions to identify gaps in services for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants.

This Handbook was developed by the National Eligibility Worker’s Association (NEW: PATHS) with funding from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA). The Handbook includes best practices from around the country for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Authors highlight proven techniques that have supported families in becoming independent from program support to allowing workers to maximize their time and resources. Best practices are organized into the following topic areas: Children's Education, Child Care Assistance, Child Support, Employment Services, and Family Relationships.

Child support is crucial for supporting low-income families; it makes up on average about 30 percent of family income. Authored by the Congressional Research Service, this report addresses the effects of adopting the changes made through the Deficit Reduction Act in terms of child support pass-through and disregard. Authors review possible indirect behavioral effects of implementing this policy.

Through the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Partners for Fragile Families (PFF) demonstration program intended to affect systems change to ultimately improve outcomes for both parents and children in low-income families. Specifically, this report provides data on economic and child support outcomes for the project’s participants.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) maintains this comprehensive map of all State child support enforcement web pages.

From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this article highlights effective programs, policy opportunities, and other strategies to improve educational outcomes for children. This brief is to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on strategies to promote the healthy educational development of children.