RSF journal contributors Maria Cancian and Daniel Meyer (University of Wisconsin–Madison) recently participated in a debate hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) on policies designed to reduce poverty and increase opportunity for low-income Americans. In the discussion, Cancian and Meyer discussed research from their latest article, “Reforming Policy for Single-Parent Families to Reduce Child Poverty,” which appears in RSF’s special double issue on anti-poverty initiatives. The article proposes creating a new child support initiative that institutes a guaranteed minimum monthly support payment for every child living with a single parent, using public funds to bridge the gap when that amount exceeds what the noncustodial parent can reasonably pay.
In the AEI debate, Cancian and Meyer point out that children living with a single parent are significantly more likely than those in two-parent households to experience poverty and income instability. At the same time, low-income nonresident parents—particularly those without stable, full-time employment—are often unable to meet child support obligations. To address these issues, Cancian and Meyer propose a child support assurance “in which resident parents can rely on regular support for each child, while nonresident parents are held responsible for a substantial, but manageable, contribution.” Their program would guarantee a monthly support payment of $150 per child, but would also require nonresident parents to contribute 12.5% of their income per child in child support, with the nonresident parent’s total contributions capped at 33% of their income. “A program of child support assurance,” Cancian and Meyer write, “would substantially reduce child poverty and economic insecurity.”
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