Elaine Sorensen, OPRE

The Analyze This data blog provides in-depth analysis of child support data to inform child support professionals and other partners about national child support trends. You can read past blogs and sign up for our list by visiting the Analyze This webpage.

This is the second blog that analyzes data from the 2023 Current Population Survey-Child Support Supplement (CPS-CSS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau roughly every two years.  The survey generates a nationally representative sample of custodial parents with children under 21 in the home.

The 2023 CPS-CSS added several new questions for custodial parents about their experience working with the child support program.  The first question asked whether it was easy or hard to work with the program.  Sixty-five percent of custodial parents said it was easy to work with the child support program. 

Figure 1. Was It Easy or Hard to Work with the Child Support Program?

The second question was a follow-up for the 35% of custodial parents who said it was hard to work with the child support program. The follow-up question asked the parent to select (from eight possibilities) all the reasons they find it hard to work with the program. Figure 2 shows the list of possible reasons. Next to each reason is the percent of custodial parents who checked that reason. As you can see, the percentages sum to well over 100%, indicating that many parents selected multiple reasons.

Forty one percent of custodial parents who found it hard to work with the child support program said it was because the services received were not helpful. Thirty nine percent said that they tried to call the office, but the wait was too long or they couldn’t get through. Thirty seven percent said that their calls or emails were not returned. One third said the program was too slow to enforce and collect child support. Thirty two percent said the paperwork was complicated or time-consuming. Nineteen percent said the website was not user-friendly. Eighteen percent said they were unsure who to contact. Twelve percent said there was another reason they found it hard to work with the child support program.

Figure 2. Reasons why it is difficult to work with a child support program

The 35% of parents who said it was hard to work with the child support program were asked for suggestions on how to improve services. Over 100 parents provided a suggestion. Several themes dominated these responses: better communication; increase staff; hire or train staff to be more respectful and empathetic toward parents; improve enforcement; and make information more available. Many of the suggestions regarding better communication had to do with improving phone access. The recommendation to improve enforcement covered several topics, including improve locate, improve interstate enforcement, and work with the tax department. The suggestion to make information more available also covered several topics, including payment records, general information, contact information for staff, and improving the website.

In summary, most custodial parents found it easy to work with the program. If they found it hard, a key reason was communication. They often desired an easier way to communicate with the child support program.

For more information, contact Elaine Sorensen at elaine.sorensen@acf.hhs.gov.

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OCSS issued recent guidance to help states and tribes develop and operate their child support programs according to federal laws and regulations:

• Final Rule: Employment and Training Services for Noncustodial Parents in the Child Support Program (12/13/24)
• FY 2025 Incentive Payment Pool Amount (12/10/24)
• Open Comment Period — OCSS-75 Tribal Child Support Data Report (12/05/24)

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