Diane Potts Center for the Support of Families Vicki Turetsky Commissioner of the United States Office of Child Support Enforcement 9 November 2015

55 years ago...  In 1960, there were about 4.25 million children born in the United States  Over 4 million children were born into a traditional marital family  Only about 225,000 children were born to unwed mothers  Children born to unwed mothers were 5.3% of the children born in 1960 *Data and statistics from the United States Census Bureau

55 years ago...  In 1960, there were about 1.5 million marriages and 393,000 divorces  In 1960, marriage was legally recognized only between a man and a woman  Parentage and the obligation to provide support rested on the man’s marriage to the child’s mother

Today...  In 2013, there were about 4 million children born in the United States  Less than 2.4 million were born into a traditional marital family  Approximately 1.6 million were born to unwed mothers  Children born to unwed mothers were 40.6% of the children born in 2013  In 2013, there were about 2.1 million marriages and 851,000 divorces  In 2015, marriage is legally recognized between both same sex and opposite sex couples

Today...  Parentage and the obligation to provide support may arise from marriage, acknowledgment, or adjudication  Increasingly, states recognize psychological or de facto parentage rights and responsibilities, which can result in children having more than 2 legal parents  Rise in the use of gestational surrogacy and artificial insemination  Prevalence of accurate and readily available genetic testing

Today...  Cohabitation before, or instead of, marriage has become much more widespread  The unmarried partner population “grew 41 percent between 2000 and 2010, four times as fast as the overall household population.”  Parents may have multiple family support obligations

Today...  In 2012, 10% of children lived with a grandparent  In 2012, 4.2 million households containing both grandchildren under age 18 and their grandparents  Of those households, 67% were maintained by the grandparent  31% were maintained by a parent  In 1970, only 3% of children lived in grandparent-maintained households

 Complex parentage laws, litigation, and policies  Grandparent involvement  Determining ability to pay and child support for impoverished parents or parents with multiple family support obligations  Incorporating parenting time, employment programs, and other services to help parents and children

Child Support Core Mission: Locate Parents Establish Paternity Establish Orders Collect Support ChildSupportPrevention Engagement of Fathers from Birth EconomicStability Family Violence Collaboration Healthy Family Relationships Health Care Coverage The United States Child Support Program

Contact Information Diane Potts