Current Population Reports
Consumer Income
FILE COPY
Child Support for Custodial
Mothers and Fathers: 1995
This report presents data on par-
ents who have custody of children
whose other parent is absent from
the home. It focuses on the child
support income that custodial par-
ents with current awards received,
and other provisions of awards,
such as visitation rights, joint
custody, and health insurance.
Nearly 3 out of every 10
children live with only one of
their parents.
In spring 1996, 22.8 million chil-
dren under 21 years of age lived
with 13.7 million custodial parents
while their other parent lived else-
where. These children comprised
about 28 percent of all children un-
der 21 years old living in families.
These children usually live
with their mother.
About 11.6 million or 85 percent of
the 13.7 million custodial parents
were women (see Table 1). Even
though women make up the vast
majority of custodial parents, 2.1
million men were custodial parents
(1 5 percent).
Many custodial parents (and
their families) are poor.
About 30 percent (4.2 million) of
custodial parents whose children's
other parent was absent from the
home had family incomes below
the poverty threshold-xmpared
with 16 percent of all parents. The
poverty rate for custodial mothers
(33 percent or 3.9 million) was more
than twice as high as that for custo-
dial fathers (14 percent or 0.3 mil-
lion), as shown in Figure 1.
Custodial mothers are more
likely to receive child support
awards than custodial fathers.
In spring 1996,58 percent or 8.0 mil-
lion of the 13.7 million custodial par-
ents had child support awards.
Award rates were 61 percent for
mothers and 40 percent for fathers.
Most custodial parents with
awards have a legal agreement
entered through a court,
government agency, or other
legal body.
About 7.3 million of the custodial
parents with awards (92 percent of
the 8.0 million) had a legal agree-
ment established by a court or
Figure 1.
Poverty Status of Custodial