Gathering Data to Boost Safety in Child Support Programs
Published Date: 5/4/2026
Notice
Summary
The government is gathering info to make child support programs safer for domestic violence survivors. They’ll talk to survivors, advocates, and child support workers to find out what works and what doesn’t. This effort affects 12 states and one tribal area, with public comments open until June 3, 2026, and aims to improve safety without extra costs to the public.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Safer child‑support access for survivors
You may benefit if you are a domestic violence (DV) survivor: the SAVES demonstration aims to increase safe access to child support, parenting time, and paternity‑establishment services for DV survivors in 12 states and one tribal jurisdiction. The project was awarded in September 2022 and is entering year four, and the SAVES Center is using research to identify promising safety practices.
One‑time survivor interviews and surveys
If you are a DV survivor who is a parent and either engaged with child support or eligible but not engaged, you could be asked to complete one one‑time data collection in year 4. The proposal lists 100 survivors for qualitative interviews (plus screeners) and 2,000 survivors for the quantitative survey (plus screeners); individual burdens range from 0.083 hours (screener) to 1 hour (interview).
Advocates surveyed on survivor safety
DV advocates who assist survivors with child support may be asked to complete a one‑time online survey in year 4; the proposed instrument lists 1,200 advocate respondents with an average burden of 0.33 hours per response. Responses will inform how advocates assess and mitigate safety risks for survivors.
Child‑support staff focus groups and interviews
Child support staff at the 13 demonstration sites may be invited to one‑time focus groups (65 staff listed) averaging 1.5 hours each, and 65 client interviews with the same average timing; staff participation is intended to assess implementation of safety‑focused interventions. Respondents will only complete one instrument in year 4.
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