Imagining a new future: elimination of child support obligations for child welfare-involved families

Abstract

As we imagine the next generation of public child welfare, efforts to identify and eliminate practices that are harmful to families must be pursued. This commentary uses available research evidence to argue against child support enforcement for child welfare-involved families. Although research on this topic is sparse, the evidence from the few available studies suggests that child support enforcement likely harms child welfare-involved families. It delays reunification, increases family financial precarity, is cost ineffective, and is anathema to the values of family support. Federal policies that require or encourage referral of child welfare-involved families to child support agencies should be eliminated to better promote family strengths and cohesion.

Rights and Safeguarding of Children: A Qualitative Investigation in Arghakhanchi

“…The link between neglect, inactivity, and the resort to begging as survival strategies aligns with research that underscores how economic and social marginalization can push young individuals towards precarious living situations (Ennew & Swart-Kruger, 2003). Moreover, the identification of drug addiction as a coping mechanism, especially among people with disabilities, underscores the intersecting challenges faced by this population, emphasizing the importance of addressing substance abuse within the context of disability (Berrick, 2022). The study's emphasis on discrimination in various forms, including corporal appearance, ethnicity, dress coding system, religious belief, gender, and demographics, mirrors the broader literature on the detrimental impact of multiple layers of discrimination on children's well-being and rights (UNICEF, 2019;Humphreys, 2019).…”