According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, child support payments had a monthly average of $430 in 2010. Texas alone collected more child support than any other state, however, when it comes to collecting delinquent child support payments, Texas falls behind many other states.
The Survey of Income and Program Participation had some interesting results. For example, the survey indicated a yearly average of $5,150 in child support payments for children under the age of 21. In addition, the survey discovered that a whopping 85 percent of non-custodial parents paying child support were male – with female child support providers only paying a yearly average of $3,500.
Texas Child Support Collection
The good news for Texas children is that more child support was collected in 2010 in Texas than any of the other U.S. states – even more than California. Unfortunately though, when it comes to collecting past due child support, Texas is falling behind.
Moreover, the amount of back child support and owed amounts is increasing faster in Texas than many other locations. In total, $13.3 billion of past due and current child support is owed by parents in Texas.
Generally, child support in Texas is statutorily set, with the main emphasis on the well-being of the children. It is not meant to punish the non-custodial parent, but instead to provide support for their children.
However, circumstances may change after child support payments are initially established. If your circumstances have substantially changed, it may be worth your while to see if your child support obligations can be modified to more accurately reflect your current circumstances.
Source: ConnectAmarillo.com, “Child support national average, Texas lags,” Brandon Carpenter, June 19, 2012