Brief
In fiscal year 2018, noncustodial parents were obligated to pay nearly $33.6 billion in current child support on behalf of the 15 million children served by the Title IV-D child support program. One-third of that, or $11 billion, was not collected. Unemployment is the leading reason for non-payment of child support by noncustodial parents. This brief will explore the opportunities at the state and federal levels to provide employment services to noncustodial parents and increase child support payments in the process.
Family Structure and the Economic Mobility of Children explores the relationship between parental marital status and intergenerational economic mobility. Co-authored by Thomas DeLeire of the University of Wisconsin and Leonard M. Lopoo of Syracuse University, the report compares the economic mobility outcomes for children who were born to single mothers, divorced parents, and continuously married parents. It finds that, across the income distribution, divorce is particularly harmful for children's economic mobility in both absolute and relative terms. The report also highlights the striking…
Other
Money Habitudes II is a simple but powerful tool to help young adults talk about money. This version is geared towards people age 18-25 and is typically used with the military, college students and young adults starting work and living more independently. The award-winning decks of cards are easy to use and provide new insights in a fun, game-like format. They can be used by professionals and non-professionals when working with individuals, couples or groups. Often used as an introductory exercise or icebreaker, they also work well as a standalone activity or as a module within a larger…
Other
Money Habitudes for Teens is a simple but powerful tool to help teens (high school) talk about money. The award-winning decks of cards are easy to use and provide new insights in a fun, game-like format. They can be used by professionals and non-professionals when working with individuals, couples or groups. Often used as an introductory exercise or icebreaker, they also work well as a standalone activity or as a module within a larger program. Used for sessions between 15 minutes and 2 hours, the cards are frequently included as part of programs that include: pre-marital, marriage enrichment…
Training Materials, Book
The Money Habitudes Teen Guide is designed for those using Money Habitudes for Teens and covering money-related issues. The cards help teens discover the hidden messages that motivate the way they make money decisions. The guide provides educators, youth leaders and counselors five lesson plans which can each be used as five stand-alone lesson plans or combined for a more in-depth program of five classes or a half-day program. They can be used in-conjunction with programs in financial literacy, life skills, psychology or business to help teens develop a healthier relationship with money.…
Training Materials, Other
The Money Habitudes Workshop/Training DVD is designed to be used with Money Habitudes cards. It may be used to educate those using the cards, as a tool to help train-the-trainer, or as an interactive component in workshops or meetings. The DVD is also a useful way for individuals and couples to learn about their own Money Habitudes and understand how they can support or sabotage achieving their life and financial goals. The 26-minute DVD is divided into four sections: Introduction and overview to how we develop our habits and attitudes about money (12 minutes); How to use the cards (4 minutes…
Achieving balance between work and family--especially within a shrinking economy--is challenging for all families. The Obama-Biden plan for families includes several agenda items for supporting low-income and working families, and presents an overall strategy to strengthen families at home, to ensure that all American families can work and care for their children. This white paper notes lessons learned from the Office of Family Assistance Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood demonstration grantees. ICF recommends disseminating information on this ground-breaking work to promote…
red dot icon
Journal Article Marriage between two parents, compared with other family living arrangements, appears, on average, to enhance children's wellbeing and development. Some of the positive association between marriage and children's wellbeing comes from positive associations between marriage and other things that also contribute to children's wellbeing. David Ribar first sets up a standard economic rational-choice model to show that, all else equal, marriage should produce advantages that can improve children’s wellbeing, such as better coordination between parents and economies of scale that make limited…
The ability of young people to forge and sustain healthy relationships can affect almost every aspect of their lives--school and work success, physical and mental health, and the overall health and well-being of their own children. Helping young people thrive and overcome barriers to economic and personal success requires more than ensuring they complete their secondary education and workforce development. Providing youth with the necessary skills to form and sustain healthy intimate relationships is also an essential part of their future success. (Author abstract)
This paper brings together a body of empirical evidence on how marriage affects the economic well-being of families with children. The paper considers the theoretical reasons marriage might enhance economic well-being, clarifies the empirical questions about the potential roles of marriage, and presents descriptive data and the evidence from empirical studies. The review deals with the impact of higher marriage propensities on incomes and wealth, of gains in marriage relative to cohabitation, of the stimulus to male earnings associated with marriage, and of the changes in economic well-being…
