Many child support agencies have begun to apply the principles of procedural justice to practices and procedures. The idea being that customers who perceive they have been treated fairly are more likely to have a positive perception of the child support program. For this report, researchers interviewed parents, child support agency leaders, and employees on their perceptions of fairness in the program Research questions included how parents became involved with the program, what aspects of child support practices are perceived as fair or unfair, what are agencies doing to improve fairness, and what would a fair program look like.

Substance abuse is a well-documented barrier to payment of a child support order in that it a parent’s ability to pay and willingness to pay. This study considers the relationship between child support compliance and problematic substance abuse. The researchers found problematic substance abuse affects compliance with child support. It suggests supports for these NCPs including programs to connect NCPs to treatment resources and assistance with modifications.

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement funded the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) grant to explore the use of the principles of procedural justice during enforcement with the intent of improving the regular receipt of child support payments. This brief compiles information received during interviews of parents who received PJAC-informed services and parents who received regular services. 

Using lessons learned during the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) grant, this guide provides child support agencies detailed instructions on how to implement procedural justice-informed practices. The PJAC grant funded projects designed to improve outcomes for parents who were on the verge of a contempt referral using the principles of procedural justice.

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement funded the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) grant to fund projects which implemented the principles of procedural justice in working with parents facing contempt. This report analyzes implementation of the PJAC model. The model includes a case review, outreach and engagement, case conference, case action plan, and case management.

The Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt Demonstration (PJAC) grant studied the effect of applying the principles of procedural justice to child support cases in which a non-paying parents qualified for a contempt action. This brief sets out information gained from the grant case managers about their experience working with the parents. Implementation of this model required a rethinking of the provision of child support services. The case managers had a smaller caseload, but the services were intensive.

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) funded the Procedural Justice Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) grant to explore the application of procedural justice principles to enforcing child support orders. The grant targets noncustodial parents who are about to be referred for contempt for not paying their child support but have the ability to pay. This brief addresses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project sites and the parents.