Fifty years of the child support enforcement program marks a major milestone at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). For half a century, ACF has helped parents provide and care for their children through child support — reinforcing the vital role of the family unit in every child’s life. Under the leadership of HHS Secretary Kennedy, ACF is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this program by carrying its legacy forward as part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) mission, ensuring programs continue to strengthen families and promote healthy work habits.
ACF believes that the strongest foundation for society is the family. We are committed to supporting family formation, healthy marriages, and active fatherhood. When parents are not directly involved in their children’s lives, we remain committed to providing support through the child support program and holding individuals accountable for their parental responsibilities. In addition, research shows child support payments reduce child poverty and improve economic independence, leading to better social and health outcomes. Children do better when both parents are involved, even if parents are no longer together.
ACF also recognizes that stable employment is one of the most effective tools for long-term economic and health security. By holding noncustodial parents accountable, we promote work and help ensure the benefits of employment reach the children who need them most.
ACF is proud of the success of the child support enforcement program. Over the years, our partnership with state and tribal programs has improved the reliability and regularity of payments for millions of children. Since Congress created the program in 1975, it’s accrued more than $786 billion dollars to help single parents support their children. In 2024 alone, the program secured $29.5 billion from noncustodial parents, primarily fathers, and reached 12.2 million children, approximately 1 in every 6 children in the United States. The program is also one of the most efficient uses of taxpayer dollars, collecting $4.24 for every dollar spent.
Today, more than 60 tribal child support programs deliver services to families that reflect the values and culture of the communities they serve. To support custodial parents living outside the United States, the federal office also offers an international enforcement service that streamlines outgoing child support payments.
How you can celebrate
To celebrate the progress of the program, we’ve launched a 50th anniversary page as a hub for content that you can share, including:
- Timeline: Look at legislative milestones throughout the program’s history.
- How Child Support Works handout: Read about services offered by the child support program.
- Social media toolkit: Promote the 50th anniversary by using our toolkit to post on social media.
- Blog series: This blog is the first in a series celebrating our program’s 50th anniversary.
We hope you’ll help us spread the word about this milestone and the important progress our program has made to better serve children and families. Please bookmark this page and stay up to date with our celebrations throughout the year.