The Government Accounting Office (GAO) conducted this review to learn about the potential impact of recent legislative amendments to the Child Support Enforcement Program and to determine (1) whether data compiled on program activities are sufficient and reliable for program oversight; and (2) whether efforts to determine paternity and obtain support orders for children receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) are adequate and, if not, why not. Results showed that 4 of every 10 AFDC sampled children who needed paternity determinations or support orders did not receive them. Federal oversight was inadequate and state reporting on program operations was not sufficiently accurate and complete to enable interested parties to assess program performance. When they became eligible for AFDC, 7 of 10 children in the sample needed paternity determinations or support orders. For 42 percent of these, the child support agencies' efforts to determine paternity or obtain support orders were inadequate. After an executive summary and an introductory chapter, chapters 2 through 6 deal respectively with: (1) agencies' inadequate performance in pursuing paternity and support orders; (2) the need for improved federal and state oversight and reporting; (3) the expected impact of the 1984 amendments on paternity determination and support order establishment; (4) conclusions and recommendations; and (5) agency comments and the GAO's evaluation. Eight appendices provide related materials. (RH)