Authored by the Center for Policy Research, this report highlights child support policies that support low-income noncustodial parents in key areas such as paternity, order establishment, enforcement, and parenting time.
Driver's license suspension is one of the most frequently used child support enforcement tools. Drawing on a 2026 CPR national survey of state child support directors, FRPN’s Jacque Whearty and Jessica Pearson conducted follow-up interviews with the directors or other leaders in six states — California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin — that have developed statewide policies to limit driver's license suspension for low-income noncustodial parents (NCPs).
Authored by National Fatherhood Initiative® and the Center for Policy Research, this report updates NFI’s landmark 2006 study by examining federal spending associated with father-absent households. Using federal budget data and the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the report finds that in 2018 the U.S. spent $154.2 billion — about 4% of the federal budget — across 14 major assistance programs supporting children and mothers in father-absent households, a 54.5% increase since 2006.
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The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network was created with support from grant #90PR0006 (2013-2019) from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are solely the responsibility of the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network, Temple University and the Center for Policy Research and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, the Administration for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.