NCJ Number
120882
Journal
State Legislative Report Volume: 13 Issue: 19 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1988
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report reviews relevant public policy options for legislators regarding the examination of the problems associated with establishing paternity and collecting child support from teen parents.
Abstract
Although State legislation has helped to increase child support collections overall, only two States have legislated child support enforcement policies aimed at teen parents. In 1985 Wisconsin passed a grandparent liability statute requiring the parents of a teen parent unable to pay court-ordered child support to pay that support until their teen-ager reaches legal age. In 1986 Hawaii passed a similar law. With the help of legislative appropriations, States are developing programs that assist in early paternity establishment and help increase child support enforcement awards. The programs described in this report contain one or more of the elements for a comprehensive strategy that addresses the causes of nonsupport among teens. These elements are media campaigns and counseling to teach young fathers about the importance of paternity establishment, educational incentives, job training and placement, parenting skills training, and child support enforcement. One table shows the percentage of aid for families with dependent children/foster care assistance payments recovered through child support collections in each State for 1986. Another table provides data on nonmarital births to women under age 20 as a percentage of all births to women under age 20 for each State. 19 references.