American Notes Families

Collecting child support from a divorced father who does not want to pay is almost impossible--just ask any single mother who has tried hounding a tightfisted ex. But a set of federal laws that took effect last week should put more pressure on feckless fathers. Called the Child Support Enforcement Amendments, they require states to deduct support obligations from a delinquent's paycheck or lose out on some federal welfare funds (22 states already have similar programs).

The federal laws aim to improve some shameful statistics. At the latest accounting, children were owed $3 billion by absent parents, contributing to a rising level of poverty among single mothers and adding to state welfare rolls. Fully half of the 4 million divorced mothers in the U.S. who are entitled to support payments get only part or none of the full amount. Although the crackdown has been applauded, some groups have reservations. David Levy, president of the Washington-based National Council for Children's Rights, says that the laws will be most effective with fathers in regular jobs, who tend to make payments anyway. Marginally employed deadbeats will still be hard to track.