NCJ Number
233264
Date Published
February 2005
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice has prepared this report in response to concerns about child-support debt, particularly its creation of a barrier to employment for low-income parents and conflicts with the goals of the child support program.
Abstract
Drawing on examples from other States, this report identifies a range of policies that inform child support practice in New Jersey and offers administrative, legislative, and programmatic solutions to address child support arrears owed by low-income and incarcerated parents. One recommendation is to encourage formal employment for parents with child support obligations. Suggestions in this area are to provide sliding-scale garnishment for low-wage workers; refine the law that permits license suspension for child support arrears; and provide State tax credits for noncustodial parents with very low incomes who pay child support. A second recommendation is to identify and address policies and practices that create child support debt. Suggestions are to allow for the suspension of child support arrears during incarceration, to make support modification part of intake procedure at correctional facilities, to consider passing legislation in New Jersey that would "cap" arrears if a parent's income is at or below the poverty level, and to review child support orders more often. A third recommendation is to have realistic expectations of low-income parents who try to pay child support. One suggestion in this regard is to provide for partial or graduated waiver of child support debt owed to the State in order to assist low-income parents in resolving child support arrears while they continue to provide consistent support to their children. Another suggestion is to identify State and Federal sources of support that will assist noncustodial parents in obtaining paying jobs. Appended review of how child support law actually works and 109 notes