Child Support Enforcement Keeps Children Out of Poverty

by Dave Kunes  |  June 11, 2012

There’s not a lot of bipartisan support for anything in Washington D.C. these days, but one bill that has support on both sides of the aisle is a proven, cost-effective, way to bring children out of poverty.  

The Child Support Protection Act – sponsored by Senators John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) – does just that.  It gives budget-strapped state and local agencies the funding they need to ensure children are supported by both parents, and lessens spending on safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Child support enforcement, when fully funded and efficiently administered, has had a huge impact on decreasing child poverty. 

Child support received by families is 39% of the income of those headed by single poor mothers and reduces their poverty rate by nearly 25%.  This bill would give CSE agencies the resources they need to continue to keep families out of poverty by collecting almost five dollars for every public dollar spent. This is an impressive return on investment, which is particularly important in these tough budgetary times.

The need is clear and so is the solution. That is why AFSCME is one of more than 26 national organizations asking the Senate to pass this important piece of legislation. Please click here to ask your Senators to vote in support of this bill.