Widespread pandemic disruption spurred innovation to state paternity establishment practices
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Report in brief (United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General)
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Office of Evaluation and Inspections, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, August 2023
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Child Custody Government Regulation Paternity State Health Planning and Development Agencies COVID-19 United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why OIG Did This Review. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, 41 percent of children born in the United States were born to unmarried parents. Paternity establishment is the legal determination of fatherhood for children born into these families. It serves as the basis for child support orders and affirms the connection between father and child. State child support agencies facilitate paternity establishment in the hospital at the time of birth, or through other administrative and court processes post-birth. The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) provides oversight and funding to State child support agencies. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted paternity establishment services nationwide, resulting in lower paternity establishment rates. This study evaluates the effect of the pandemic on State paternity establishment services, State agency practices to maintain services, and efforts by OCSS (then named the Office of Child Support Enforcement) to support State agencies to maintain paternity establishment services during the pandemic. How OIG Did This Review. OIG surveyed 54 child support agencies, from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, between June and September 2022. OIG also reviewed documents and conducted interviews with representatives from nine States and from OCSS headquarters and regional offices.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (27 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918716088006676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918716088006676