A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Indicator 21. Child Support

Women receiving court-ordered child support payments from absent fathers: 1978 to 1989

____________________________________________________________________________                                  |      |       |      |      |      |    Award and recipiency status   | 1978 | 1981  | 1983 | 1985 | 1987 | 1989             of women             |      |       |      |      |      | _________________________________|______|_______|______|______|______|______                                            Number, in thousands     Total women with children       from an absent father 1/ .. 7,094   8,387  8,690  8,808  9,415  9,955  Payments not awarded ............ 2,898   3,417  3,675  3,411  3,861  4,207 Payments awarded 2/.............. 4,196   4,969  5,015  5,396  5,554  5,748    Supposed to receive payments .. 3,424   4,043  3,995  4,381  4,829  4,953     Actually received payments .. 2,455   2,902  3,037  3,243  3,676  3,725       Received full amount ...... 1,675   1,888  2,018  2,112  2,475  2,546       Received partial amount ...   779   1,014  1,019  1,131  1,201  1,179     Did not receive payments ....   969   1,140    958  1,138  1,153  1,228                                          Percentage distribution      Total women with children       from an absent father 1/ .. 100.0   100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0  Payments not awarded ............  40.9    40.7   42.3   38.7   41.0   42.3 Payments awarded 2/..............  59.1    59.2   57.7   61.3   59.0   57.7    Supposed to receive payments .. 100.0   100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0     Actually received payments ..  71.7    71.8   76.0   74.0   76.1   75.2       Received full amount ......  48.9    46.7   50.5   48.2   51.3   51.4       Received partial amount ...  22.8    25.1   25.5   25.8   24.9   23.8     Did not receive payments ....  28.3    28.2   24.0   26.0   23.9   24.8 ____________________________________________________________________________ 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-23, Support and Alimony, various years; and Series P-60, Child Support and Alimony, 1989.