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CHILD SUPPORT IN THE U.S.: CAN FATHERS AFFORD TO PAY MORE?
Author(s) -
Miller Cynthia,
Garfinkel Irwin,
McLanahan Sara
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
review of income and wealth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.024
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1475-4991
pISSN - 0034-6586
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4991.1997.tb00219.x
Subject(s) - economics , child support , labour economics , low income , demographic economics , political science , law
This paper presents up‐to‐date estimates of the ability of non‐resident fathers to pay child support. While no nationally representative data exist on the incomes of fathers, this issue has become more pertinent in recent years, as child support has become an important national issue. We find that fathers on average are able to pay nearly five times more in child support than they currently pay, and also that low income fathers can afford to pay substantially more than they actually pay. We also find that changes in nonmarital childbearing and the returns to education have had only minimal effects on trends in fathers' incomes.