Caseload

Child support is the single largest child-focused program in terms of number of children served and the amount of money that is distributed to them. The IV-D (or public) child support caseload is also more diverse than other social programs, and information about the characteristics of families and individuals served by the program is necessary in order to understand the context of data regarding federal performance measures and to think creatively about new approaches and initiatives. This report series provides an annual profile of the active IV-D caseload in Maryland, based on a random sample of cases in July of each year. We examine the characteristics of cases and people in the IV-D caseload, including paternity and support payments, and provide an analysis of the current issues affecting the caseload locally and nationally. We also periodically issue special reports that focus on a particular issue or subpopulation of the active IV-D caseload, including for example, incarcerated obligors, arrears cases, and others.

Reports are free of charge, and may be downloaded from this page.

Click here for Child Support Caseload Special Issues.

Maryland's Child Support Caseload in July 2022: Jurisdictional Snapshots
(November 2023) Letitia Logan Passarella & Kaitlyn Young

This document presents individual snapshots of child support cases for the state and each of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions as of July 2022. These snapshots provide insights into the current and past-due support that was owed and paid in each jurisdiction. Additionally, they highlight the amounts owed and paid to custodians and to the state. These findings replicate those found in a recent report—Maryland’s Child Support Caseload: Trends Among Cases, 2016 to 2022.

Maryland's Child Support Caseload: Trends among Cases, 2016 to 2022
(July 2023) Letitia Logan Passarella

This report examines a sample of child support cases from four separate months between 2016 and 2022, highlighting trends over time and providing insights into the child support owed and received by the average Maryland family.

Complex Parents in Maryland: Jurisdictional Snapshots
(October 2022) Natalie Demyan

The snapshots summarize data describing the characteristics, employment, public assistance receipt, and child support cases of complex parents—those with multiple child support orders for current support with different co-parents.

Characteristics of Complex Families in Maryland's Child Support Caseload
(September 2022) Natalie Demyan & Letitia Logan Passarella

This report introduces complex families, or parents who have children with more than one co-parent, in Maryland’s IV-D program. We highlight complex parents’ characteristics, economic status, and child support characteristics.

Maryland's Child Support Caseload: A Profile of Custodians, 2021
(June 2022) Haley Smith & Letitia Logan Passarella

This report examines the support owed and disbursed to custodians who participated in Maryland’s public child support program in July 2021. Due to the requirement for TANF recipients to cooperate with the IV-D program, we provide findings for all custodians as well as for those with and without a history of TANF participation.

Jurisdictional Snapshots of Custodian- and State-owed Support
(September 2020) Letitia Logan Passarella

These snapshots—for Maryland and each of its 24 jurisdictions—highlight the current and past-due support owed to custodians as well as to the state for the custodial families’ receipt of public cash benefits.

Maryland’s Child Support Caseload: Examining Custodian- and State-Owed Support
(August 2020) Letitia Logan Passarella

This brief examines a sample of cases that were active in July 2019. It assesses the current support and arrears that were due and paid to custodians in the prior year as well as to the state for the receipt of public cash assistance benefits. Overall, we find that the majority of current support and most of past-due current support—arrears—is due to the custodian. Custodian-owed support and arrears are also more likely to be paid.

Custodian Snapshots 2018
(June 2019)

These snapshots for Maryland and each of the 24 jurisdictions in the state provide demographic information about custodians, their employment, and the child support payments they received. Additionally, comparisons are made between custodians who had a history of benefit receipt in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Maryland’s Child Support Caseload: A Profile of Custodians, 2018
(May 2019) Natalie Demyan & Letitia Logan Passarella

Noncustodial Parent Snapshots: Examining Who Owed Support in July 2017
(September 2018) Natalie Demyan & Letitia Passarella

These snapshots for Maryland and each of the 24 jurisdictions in the state provide demographic information about noncustodial parents, their employment, and their child support orders and payments. Additionally, comparisons are made between noncustodial parents earning full-time minimum wage or less and those earning a living wage.

The second, third, and fourth reports in a series providing valid, reliable data about the children, custodians, and noncustodial parentswho comprise the Maryland child support caseload and to produce regularly updated information about results achieved in critical areassuch as support collections and support arrears.

People & Payments: A Baseline Profile of Maryland's Child Support Caseload
(April, 2008) Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Valerie Head, & Catherine E. Born

The goal of this first report in a series is to provide valid, reliable data about the children, custodians, and noncustodial parentswho comprise the Maryland child support caseload and to produce regularly updated information about results achieved in critical areassuch as support collections and support arrears.

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Caseload

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