Asserts that instead of putting children at risk through more costly and politically problematic child support enforcement strategies, policymakers should reinforce rather than undermine the social ideal of marriage. Discusses the logic of shotgun weddings, the results of no-fault divorces, punishment of innocent fathers by harsh child support…

These hearings transcripts compile testimony before the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means focusing on the performance of the child support enforcement program and providing information on current child support and fatherhood proposals. Oral testimony was heard from eight invited witnesses. Three members of Congress…

This paper summarizes changes in key elements of welfare policy and in closely related policies on child support enforcement and sex education and family planning programs. Drawing on a conceptual framework that highlights how incentives created by public policy can affect demographic behaviors, the paper concludes that, as Congress intended,…