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1 [1] (January 13, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/govetet0001 and id is 1 raw text is: The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program ntroduct on The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was enacted into law on January 4, 1975 (P.L. 93-647). When the program was first established, its goals were to reimburse the states and the federal government for the cash assistance payments they provided families, and to help other families remain off cash assistance by obtaining consistent and ongoing child support payments from the noncustodial parent. Over time, the program has evolved from a cash assistance cost-recovery program to afamily- first program that seeks to enhance the well-being of families by making child support a more reliable income source. This federal-state program has the potential to impact more children and for longer periods of time than most other federal programs. It may interact with mothers, fathers, and children for 18 years and in some cases longer, such as if the noncustodial parent owes past-due child support. In recent years, it served about 17% of children in the United States. (CSE program data are published by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement [OCSE] in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]). All FY2024 figures in this report are drawn from its FY2024 Preliminary Data Report released on July 17, 2025.) Scope of CSE Program Families who are required to enroll in the CSE program are those receiving cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Medicaid coverage, or, at state option, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance. The program is also available to families that do not receive these benefits (i.e., nonassistance families) if they choose to enroll. Families who are not required to enroll in the CSE program must pay a one-time $25 fee when they apply for services, and an annual $35 user fee if the CSE agency collects at least $550 per year for them. The program is available in all 50 states; the District of Columbia; the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and 63 tribal nations. Program services are generally provided locally within states, usually by county. The CSE program is administered at the federal level by OCSE, which helps CSE agencies develop, manage, and operate their programs effectively and according to federal law. Specifically, OCSE administers federal matching funds and awards grants to states, provides policy guidance and technical assistance, conducts program audits, and supports research through demonstration grants. OCSE is also responsible for the Federal Parent Locator Service, which includes the National Directory of New Hires. Updated January 13, 2026 Program Components The CSE program increases the reliability of child support paid by noncustodial parents by * locating noncustodial parents, * establishing paternity, * establishing child support orders, * reviewing and modifying child support orders, * collecting child support payments from noncustodial parents, * establishing and enforcing medical child support, and * distributing child support payments to custodial parents. CSE Co. ectons and Methods In FY2024, the CSE program collected $26.7 billion on behalf of families. More than two-thirds of CSE collections were for families that had never received cash payments from the TANF program (see Table 1). Table I. CSE Collections by Family Type, FY2024 Collections Family Type (billions) Percentage TANF Families $0.6 2% Former TANF $6.8 26% Never TANF $19.2 72% Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the FY2024 Preliminary Data Report (HHS). Amounts and percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. The majority of the collected payments in FY2024 (97%) went to families and the remainder went to the states and federal government, primarily as reimbursement for public assistance dollars that went to families. Most child support payments are collected from noncustodial parents through income withholding. In FY2024, 71% of collections were obtained through income withholding. Other methods of enforcement include * intercepting federal and state income tax refunds; * intercepting unemployment compensation; * filing liens against property; * sending insurance settlement information to CSE agencies; * intercepting gaming or lottery winnings;