Child Support Statistics in the United States
What is Child Support?
Generally speaking, a parent pays child support following a divorce or a separation that involves minor children (though, in some states, this support can be required until a child turns 21). This payment is usually ongoing and intended to help cover the costs associated with child rearing.
The obligation to pay child support may be formally and legally set by the court system or it may be informally set, such as through a verbal agreement between parents. Oftentimes, the parent who spends less time with their child or children pays support to the parent who is primary caregiver.
The U.S. Census Bureau released a November 2023 report that shares the latest data on child support in the United States. It reports that:
- 4.1 million parents received child support in the form of cash payments in 2021.
- About 86% of parents who received cash child support payments had a legal or informal agreement in place with the child’s other parent.
- Nationwide, $20.2 billion in cash child support payments were received by parents in 2021, with the average monthly payment totaling $441.
- 2.7 million custodial parents received non-cash support in the form of groceries, clothes, diapers as well as reimbursements for medical expenses, child care and more.
Definition note: The term custodial parent refers to a parent who lives with and cares for their minor children most of the time (also known as having sole or primary custody). A noncustodial parent lives elsewhere and generally spends less time with their children.
Why Is Child Support Important?
Single-parent families, especially single-mom households, are more likely to live in poverty compared to married-parent households. For children, the consequences of poverty are profound. A large body of research shows that kids who grow up poor are more likely to have:
- physical, mental and behavioral health problems,
- disrupted brain development,
- poor academic performance,
- contact with the child welfare and justice systems,
- employment challenges in adulthood,
- and more.
Child support can be a critical source of income for single parents who may be struggling to pay for their children’s basic needs while also pursuing economic stability.
Child Support Agreement Statistics in the United States
There are two basic types of child support agreements in child custody arrangements: 1. formal, legally binding agreements; and 2. informal, voluntary agreements.
- A formal agreement is an official legal order generated by a court or another government entity.
- An informal agreement is any written or verbal understanding between parents that has never been approved or ordered by a court or a government agency. It is generally not legally binding.
The Census Bureau shared detailed data on child support agreements in a May 2020 report. It notes that:
- Nearly half of the 12.9 million custodial parents nationwide had a court order, child support award or some other type of agreement in place to receive financial support from the noncustodial parent(s) in 2018.
- Of the 6.4 million custodial parents with child support agreements, 88% reported having legal orders while the remaining 12% percent reported having informal agreements.
- 7.1 million custodial parents lacked a legal child support agreement of any type in 2018.
- Among custodial parents without a legal agreement in place, the top three reasons that they gave for forgoing a legal contract were: 1. They didn’t feel it was necessary (39%); 2. The other parent provided what he or she could for support (38%); and 3. They did not think the other parent could afford to pay child support (30%).
- As of 2018: Nearly 21% of custodial parents had contacted the government for assistance. This outreach included contact with child support enforcement offices, state department of social services, or other welfare or TANF offices for child support-related assistance.
A separate Census Bureau report, released in 2021, notes that receiving a child support payment is strongly associated with having a child support agreement in place. Over half (57%) of parents with agreements received payments in 2017.
Child Care Support for Single Mothers
Nationwide, custodial mothers are more likely to have a child support order or agreement in place than are custodial fathers, according to the Census Bureau.
Yet, 2020–2022 data in the KIDS COUNT® Data Center reveal that just 23% of U.S. female-headed families reported receiving any amount of child support during the previous year (down from 26% in 2018–2020). Female-headed families refer to unmarried women living with one or more of their own children under age 18, which may include stepchildren and adopted children.
One in three kids — nearly 24 million kids total — lives with a single parent, mostly single moms. In fact, according to 2022 Census Bureau data, of the 10.9 million one-parent families with children under age 18, 80% were headed by a mother. This makes women the more frequent custodial parent and the majority of those who need child support.
Receipt of Child Support for Single Mothers Varies Widely at the State Level
In 2020–2022, single-mother families were least likely to receive child support in Tennessee (12%) and Louisiana (13%) and most likely to receive child support it in Idaho (35%), Utah and New Hampshire (both 34%). In all years available in the KIDS COUNT Data Center, Idaho consistently ranks first in the share of female-headed families receiving child support.
Child Support Statistics By Gender
In 2020, the Census Bureau released its latest Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support report. This document notes that:
- Custodial mothers and custodial fathers were similarly likely to receive full child support payments (46% versus 43%).
- Custodial mothers were more likely to have a child support order or agreement in place (51% versus 41% for custodial fathers).
- Custodial fathers were more likely to never receive a single child support payment in 2017 (38% versus 29% for custodial mothers).
- Custodial fathers were also more likely to receive non-cash support (65% versus 56% for custodial mothers).
Data on Custodial Parents by Gender
The Census Bureau’s 2020 report also provides a sharper look at the differences between custodial-mother families and custodial-father families. It shares that:
- In 2018, there were 12.9 million custodial parents nationwide; 80% were mothers and 20% were fathers.
- Custodial-mother families were more likely to live in poverty (27% versus 11% for custodial-father families).
- Custodial fathers were more likely to be employed full time year round (74% versus 51% of custodial mothers).
- Custodial fathers were less likely to be unemployed (9% versus 22% for custodial mothers).
- Custodial mothers are more likely to participate in at least one public assistance program (45% versus 26% for custodial fathers).
Child Support Statistics By Race and Ethnicity
Child support agreements and payments vary according to the race and ethnicity of the custodial parents. For example, as reported by the Census Bureau in a 2020 report:
- Non-Hispanic white custodial parents were more likely than Black custodial parents to have a child support agreement in place (57% versus 40%).
- Non-Hispanic white custodial parents received higher annual support, on average, than Black custodial parents ($3,656 versus $2,577 annually).
- Non-Hispanic white custodial parents received a greater share of their expected payments relative to Black custodial parents (65% versus 53%).
How likely children are to live with a custodial-parent families also varies by race and ethnicity. For example: Essentially half (49%) of all Black children live in families with a custodial parent. This rate drops significantly for white children (23%) and even lower for children of other races (14%), such as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander children. Nearly 29% of Hispanic children, who can be of any race, lived in custodial-parent families in 2018.
Financial Assistance for Fathers Paying Child Support
While child support payments can lift children out of poverty and increase parent-child engagement, many noncustodial parents struggle to provide these payments, which can represent a substantial proportion of their income.
Young fathers, in particular, are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed and have child support obligations that they cannot afford, according to Reaching Their Full Potential, a report from the Center for Urban Families in collaboration with the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Such obligations can build up, including when a father is incarcerated or unable to work, and quickly spiral into an overwhelming financial burden. Fortunately, there is financial assistance for fathers paying child support.
Among the solutions, fathers can be connected to culturally appropriate fatherhood programs with workforce-training opportunities, legal services, help accessing financial safety net benefits and other supports. Learn more about financial assistance for fathers paying child support.
It is worth noting that some noncustodial parents help provide for their children outside of child support payments, too, such as providing clothes, food, direct payments for health care expenses and other support.
Learn More About Child Support and Single-Parent Families
See all data on family economic well-being in the KIDS COUNT Data Center, as well as the following selection of Foundation and external resources:
- Child Well-Being in Single-Parent Families (Blog, 2023)
- Understanding and Serving the Needs of Young Fathers of Color (Blog and Report, 2020)
- Approaches for Engaging Fathers in Child Support Programs (Fact Sheet, 2021)
- The Regular Receipt of Child Support: 2017 (Report, 2022)
- Office of Child Support Enforcement: Annual Report to Congress FY 2020 (Report, 2023)
- Foundation resources on fatherhood, child poverty and working families
Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest data, reports and resources
