Child Support (Academic Resources)
Title: Perceived norms of child support payments: a comparative study of South Korea and the United States
Publication: Journal of Family Studies
Authors: Youngjin Kang,Kwangman Ko,Lawrence Ganong & Ashton Chapman
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2020.1734058
Summary: This research examined how Americans and South Koreans view child support payments following divorce. They gathered information from 132 participants in each nation and took into account variables including custody agreements and changes in the father’s financial situation. The research revealed that Koreans, as opposed to Americans, thought child support payments should be increased. Both countries’ beliefs were influenced by custody agreements and financial changes, but Koreans’ attitudes toward caring for aged parents varied. The study reveals that when it comes to comprehending and encouraging Child Support compliance, we need to take cultural differences into account.
Family Reunion Comment: This study investigated how people in South Korea and the United States perceive Child Support payments after parents get divorced. They wanted to see if people’s views were influenced by factors like the child’s gender, who has custody of the child, changes in the father’s finances, and if the father has to support an elderly parent. The findings showed that Korean participants believed that divorced fathers should pay more money for Child Support compared to participants from the United States.
Title: The Roles of Gray Divorce and Subsequent Repartnering for Parent–Adult Child Relationships
Publication: The Journals of Gerontology
Authors: I-Fen Lin, Susan L Brown, Kagan A Mellencamp
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab139
Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine what occurs to parents and their adult children following a gray divorce (divorce that occurs later in life) and when parents begin new relationships. They discovered that fathers and mothers experienced gray divorce and beginning new partnerships differently. Fathers saw their adult children less frequently after a divorce, but they gave them more money to sustain them. New relationships for fathers had a long-lasting unfavorable effect on their interaction with their kids. The amount of money moms gave to their adult children didn’t alter, though, and in fact increased as a result of the gray divorce, as did the quantity of time they spent with them. Following the divorce, the likelihood of seeing each other frequently increased.
Family Reunion Comment: As divorce becomes more common among older adults, it is crucial to explore how these family dynamics are impacted and how parents and adult children navigate their relationships during this significant life transition. This research contributes to our understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by families in the aftermath of gray divorce.
Title: Research to Consider While Effectively Re-Designing Child Welfare Services
Publication: Sage Journals
Authors: Richard P. Barth, Jill Duerr Berrick, Antonio R. Garcia, Brett Drake, Melissa Jonson-Reid, John R. Gyourko, and Johanna K. P. Greeson
Link: https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211050000
Summary: The review emphasizes how crucial it is to base child welfare changes on facts in order to protect families. For many years, experts, supporters, and academics have worked to enhance child welfare services, putting a particular emphasis on safety, family, permanence, and tribal welfare. Recent initiatives have placed a higher priority on older youth transition programs and child well-being. Even if improvements can still be made, progress has already been made. Positive advances include the availability of preventative tools and easier transitions into adulthood, but when children cannot be kept safely at home, more effort is required to support birth families and improve the experiences of children, birth families, and caregivers.
Family Reunion Comment: The significance of evidence-based decision-making in child welfare services is highlighted. This assessment highlights the requirement for improvements to be supported by precise and recent evidence.
Title: Parental Separation or Divorce, Shared Parenting Time Arrangements, and Child Well-Being: New Findings for Canada
Publication: Canadian Studies in Population
Authors: Nora Galbraith & Mila Kingsbury
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-022-00068-0
Summary: This study examined the experiences of kids whose parents separated or divorced using data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth. They discovered that 18% of Canadian kids had gone through the divorce of their parents. Most kids visited the non-residential parent on a frequent basis. Children who experienced parental divorce were more likely to experience problems with their mental health or daily functioning. Among these, those who had sporadic contact with the other parent were more likely to experience these issues. The study offers significant new information about how parental divorce or separation affects children’s wellbeing in Canada.
Family Reunion Comment: The study offers insightful information on the frequency of parental separation, different parenting time schedules, and the effect on kids’ mental health or functional challenges. This data can help guide programs and policies that support kids and families going through these difficult times, ultimately enhancing the wellbeing of kids in Canada.
Title: The impact of equal parenting time laws on family outcomes and risky behavior by teenagers: Evidence from Spain
Publication: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Authors: Daniel Fernandez-Kranz, Natalia Nollenberger
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.01.001
Summary: In around 40% of divorce proceedings in Spain, equal parenting time (EPT) regulations have been adopted. Families and teen behavior are significantly impacted by these rules. They cause teens, especially males who now have positive relationships with their fathers, to engage in less dangerous behavior. These findings are significant for other nations, notably the United States, where the adoption of comparable laws is being explored in numerous states, therefore they have consequences beyond Spain.
Family Reunion Comment: The implementation of equal parenting time (EPT) laws in Spain has shown potential benefits for family outcomes and teenagers’ behavior.
Title: Positive Parenting, Effortful Control, and Developmental Outcomes across Early Childhood
Publication: Developmental Psychology
Authors: Tricia K. Neppl
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7041851/
Summary: This study examines the relationship between positive parenting, effortful control, and developmental outcomes in early childhood. The authors used data from a longitudinal study and found that positive parenting practices were associated with higher levels of effortful control in children. In turn, effortful control was associated with better developmental outcomes, including academic achievement and social competence. The study highlights the importance of positive parenting practices in promoting children’s self-regulation and overall development.
Title: Transition to fatherhood in the prenatal period: a qualitative study
Publication: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Authors: Catarina Silva
Link: https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/cNfcnJXBhkm39yN7YxTMffd/?lang=en&format=html#
Summary: This study explores the experiences of men during the transition to fatherhood in the prenatal period. The authors conducted qualitative interviews with expectant fathers and found that the transition to fatherhood is a complex and multifaceted process. The study highlights the importance of support from partners, family, and healthcare providers during this transition period. The authors suggest that healthcare providers should focus on promoting father involvement and supporting the unique needs of expectant fathers during the prenatal period.
Title: Employment and child support outcomes among noncustodial fathers: An Evaluation of the Fathers Advancing Community Together Program
Publication: Family Process Institute
Authors: Lindsey Cramer, Paige S. Thompson
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/famp.12753
Summary: Prior research underscores the importance of fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives. However, there is mixed evidence about the degree to which fatherhood programs improve economic stability and child support outcomes among noncustodial fathers. We attempted to address some of these gaps in the literature by evaluating the Fathers Advancing Community Together (FACT) program. We relied on data from the Department of Child Support Services to assess whether FACT increased the likelihood of employment, child support modifications, and child support payments among noncustodial fathers during a 6-month post-enrollment period. Results indicated that FACT participants were more likely to be employed and more likely to receive a child support modification during the post-enrollment period than their comparison counterparts, though we found no significant relationship between FACT participation and whether fathers made a child support payment.
Title: Child Support and mixed-status families an analysis using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
Publication: Soc Sci Res.
Authors: Lanlan Xu, Maureen A. Pirog, Edward D. Vargas
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5084908/pdf/nihms796736.pdf
Summary: We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to investigate the impact of citizenship status on formal and informal child support transfers among a nationally representative sample of parents who have citizen children. The findings have important policy implications for policymakers and researchers interested in reducing child poverty in complex family structures and underscore the need to revisit child support policies for mixed-status families.
Title: Child Support and Young Children’s Development
Publication: Soc Serv Res.
Authors: Lenna Nepomnyaschy, Katherine Magnuson, Lawrence M. Berger
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3565425/pdf/nihms-353359.pdf
Summary: This study examines the effects of nonresident fathers’ provision of formal and informal cash child support on children’s cognitive skills and behavior at 5 years of age. We find that fathers’ provision of informal cash support is associated with higher cognitive scores. We also find that formal child support is associated with worse withdrawn and aggressive behaviors. We discuss potential explanations and implications of these results for policy and future research.