The New Economic Recovery Law: Child Support Enforcement Resources

The Children's Defense Fund has gathered useful materials from federal agencies, congressional sources, and advocacy and other organizations that can help you become familiar with the Recovery Act funding and program activities available in states and communities. The New Economic Recovery Law: Resources to Help Children and the Economy provides links to these materials. This section of the guide provides information and resources for child support enforcement and will be updated frequently to provide the latest and most helpful resources. 

Child Support Enforcement

Departmental and Congressional Organizations

• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):  "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Impact on Child Support Incentives." The Recovery Act provided $1 billion in new resources for state programs that establish, enforce, collect and distribute child support.  Currently, the federal government provides incentive payments to states based on the strength of their child support enforcement programs, which they must use to continue to improve their programs. The Recovery Act restored federal matching funds for these incentive payments.   

Advocacy and Other Organizations

• Center for Law and Social Policy: "How Much Restored Child Support Funding Will Each State Receive Under the Recovery Act?" This brief provides state by state estimates of the approximate amount of the $1 billion federal funds that states can access during the next two years under the Recovery Act for restored performance incentive matching funds. These will help enable states to increase their child support enforcement collections.