Why We Help
We are a ministry with the purpose of providing direct financial assistance to moms raising kids in poverty.
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling."
Psalm 68:5
**Poverty is measured in the United States by comparing a person's or family's income to a set poverty threshold or minimum amount of income needed to cover basic needs. People whose income falls under their threshold are considered poor. The U.S. Census Bureau is the government agency in charge of measuring poverty.
- Beneficiaries are mother's and children living in financial poverty.
- 30% of families in the child support system receive zero financial help from the obligated party.
- 24% of all custodial families live in poverty.
- 1.6 Million kids receive nothing.
The U.S. Census Bureau released a November 2023 report that shares the latest data on child support in the United States. It reports that:
- 4.1 million parents received child support in the form of cash payments in 2021.
- About 86% of parents who received cash child support payments had a legal or informal agreement in place with the child’s other parent.
- Nationwide, $20.2 billion in cash child support payments were received by parents in 2021, with the average monthly payment totaling $441.
- 2.7 million custodial parents received non-cash support in the form of groceries, clothes, diapers as well as reimbursements for medical expenses, child care and more.
Definition note: The term custodial parent refers to a parent who lives with and cares for their minor children most of the time (also known as having sole or primary custody). A noncustodial parent lives elsewhere and generally spends less time with their children.
The Census Bureau shared detailed data on child support agreements in a May 2020 report. It notes that:
- Nearly half of the 12.9 million custodial parents nationwide had a court order, child support award or some other type of agreement in place to receive financial support from the noncustodial parent(s) in 2018.
- Of the 6.4 million custodial parents with child support agreements, 88% reported having legal orders while the remaining 12% percent reported having informal agreements.
- 7.1 million custodial parents lacked a legal child support agreement of any type in 2018.
- Among custodial parents without a legal agreement in place, the top three reasons that they gave for forgoing a legal contract were: 1. They didn’t feel it was necessary (39%); 2. The other parent provided what he or she could for support (38%); and 3. They did not think the other parent could afford to pay child support (30%).
- As of 2018: Nearly 21% of custodial parents had contacted the government for assistance. This outreach included contact with child support enforcement offices, state department of social services, or other welfare or TANF offices for child support-related assistance.
A separate Census Bureau report, released in 2021, notes that receiving a child support payment is strongly associated with having a child support agreement in place. Over half (57%) of parents with agreements received payments in 2017.
CHILD CARE SUPPORT FOR SINGLE MOTHERS
Nationwide, custodial mothers are more likely to have a child support order or agreement in place than are custodial fathers, according to the Census Bureau.
Yet, 2020–2022 data in the KIDS COUNT® Data Center reveal that just 23% of U.S. female-headed families reported receiving any amount of child support during the previous year (down from 26% in 2018–2020). Female-headed families refer to unmarried women living with one or more of their own children under age 18, which may include stepchildren and adopted children.
One in three kids — nearly 24 million kids total — lives with a single parent, mostly single moms. In fact, according to 2022 Census Bureau data, of the 10.9 million one-parent families with children under age 18, 80% were headed by a mother. This makes women the more frequent custodial parent and the majority of those who need child support.
WHY IS CHILD SUPPORT IMPORTANT?
Single-parent families, especially single-mom households, are more likely to live in poverty compared to married-parent households. For children, the consequences of poverty are profound. A large body of research shows that kids who grow up poor are more likely to have:
- Physical, mental and behavioral health problems,
- Disrupted brain development,
- Poor academic performance,
- Contact with the child welfare and justice systems,
- Employment challenges in adulthood,
- And more.
Child support can be a critical source of income for single parents who may be struggling to pay for their children’s basic needs while also pursuing economic stability.
What Happens To Some Fathers or Obligated Parents That Cannot or Do Not Provide Support?
While child support payments can lift children out of poverty and increase parent-child engagement, many noncustodial parents struggle to provide these payments, which can represent a substantial proportion of their income.
Young fathers, in particular, are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed and have child support obligations that they cannot afford, according to Reaching Their Full Potential, a report from the Center for Urban Families in collaboration with the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Such obligations can build up, including when a father is incarcerated or unable to work, and quickly spiral into an overwhelming financial burden.
It is worth noting that some noncustodial parents help provide for their children outside of child support payments, too, such as providing clothes, food, direct payments for health care expenses and other support.