Independent Contractors and Nontraditional Workers: Implications for the Child Support Program

An increasing number of parents are employed in non-traditional jobs where income withholding is not available. This article identifies issues for the child support program with the “gig economy.” The research yielded three key findings: the larger number of parents employed in this manner means less consistent child support payments, automated enforcement tools have limited use for collecting support, and outreach to the parents and the employers may be the most effective way of collecting support.