A Slogan to mischief

Federal Child Support Enforcement Reimbursement Matching Rate

The federal government currently reimburses each state 66% of the funding required for the state to operate its CSE program. The federal government's funding is "open ended" in that it pays its percentage of expenditures by matching the amount spent by state and local governments with no upper limit or ceiling.

States do not have to use incentive payments to fund their CSE programs

When the program began in 1975, the federal match was 75%. In 1982, P.L. 97-248 reduced the federal match to 70% (FY1983-FY1987). In 1984, P.L. 98-378 reduced the federal match to 68% in FY1988 and FY1989, and to 66% in FY1990 and years thereafter.

These costs include moneys for "locate" services, paternity establishment, establishment and modification of child support orders, and enforcement services.

In 1975, when the IV-D [CSE] program began, it was necessary to have a very high matching rate in order to persuade the states to participate.

The federal government also pays 90% of state costs of developing and improving CSE automated management information systems, including expenditures on the hardware (i.e., computers) and 80-90% of costs attributable to laboratory costs incurred in determining paternity.

It was believed that over time, the increased stake by the states in this program would have the effect of encouraging closer scrutiny of expenditures of scarce dollars.

The reverse was the result. Because of the regular decrease of matching federal funds. States shifted an unbalanced burden onto the non-custodial parent's incomes to match monetary gaps.

This attitude has produced a class of Americans plunged into servitude expected to help fund Welfare and The Child Support Enforcement Systems of Each State.

There became a need to produce a marketing campaign.

Then came the beating cry of the "The Deadbeat Dad".
A Slogan to mischief.