AtlantaChild Support News Headlines

More Custodial Parents Receive Full Amount of Child Support, Census Bureau Reports

The proportion of custodial parents receiving all the child support payments they were due increased from 34 percent in 1993 to 41 percent in 1997, according to a report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Another 27 percent of custodial parents received partial payments in 1997, down from 35 percent in 1993. Overall, two-thirds (67 percent) of custodial parents due child support in 1997 received either full or partial payments, unchanged since 1993. The average amount of child support received by these custodial parents was $3,600, also unchanged since 1993.

"The economic situation of custodial parents showed steady improvement since 1993," said Census Bureau analyst Timothy Grall, author of the report Child Support for Custodial Mothers and Fathers: 1997. "For instance, a greater proportion of custodial parents are working full time now, and the likelihood of living in poverty and participating in public assistance programs has declined."

The proportion of custodial parents with full-time, year-round jobs increased from 46 percent to 51 percent between 1993 and 1997. The poverty rate for custodial parents declined between 1993 and 1997 (from 33 percent to 29 percent) as did the incidence of participating in a public assistance program (from 41 percent to 34 percent).

Our Atlanta child support lawyers know and understand your worries and fears. Let them help you to take control. Contact one of our Atlanta child support lawyers today for a free evaluation of your case.

	Did You Know?
	Child support ends on the emancipation of a child. Emancipation, meaning the child coming of age and capable of self-support, is determined under state law. In Massachusetts and Hawaii, for example, that may occur as late as the age of 23, unless a child is incapacitated. Georgia and many of its sister states set the age at 18. Furthermore, each of the 50 states has its own version of the Child Support Guidelines to help calculate an appropriate amount of support in a case.