Maryland’s Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) has long pursued empirically-based assessments of caseload and local program initiatives, pilots, and approaches. The reports listed here each provide a detailed, comprehensive analysis of program and individual outcomes for several child support initiatives. An in-depth discussion of each initiative, as well as a description of the population or subpopulation served is also included in order to provide a context within which to interpret study findings.
Reports are free of charge and may be downloaded from this page.
Child Support Pass-Through: Early Outcomes in Maryland
(October 2021) Letitia Logan Passarella & Lauren A. Hall
| In general, we find that more money went to TANF families immediately after the implementation of the pass-through policy in Maryland. The increase is a function of redirecting child support payments from recoupment to TANF families. This is the goal of pass-through—to put more money in the hands of families who most need the additional support. However, there do not seem to be any behavioral changes on the part of TANF families or parents paying child support. That is, TANF families are not any more likely to have an open child support case or to have more paid on the current support obligation; they are only marginally more likely to have an established current support order. |
The Young Fathers’ Employment Program in Maryland
(June 2016) Letitia Logan Passarella
| This report examines the employment, earnings, and child support payments of 328 noncustodial parents who participated in the Young Fathers’ Employment Program. We compare their outcomes in the year preceding and the year following their enrollment in the program. |
Maryland Child Support Case Stratification Pilot
(November 2011) Letitia Logan, Correne Saunders, Catherine E. Born
| Case stratification is a promising best practice for the child support agencies because it exemplifies the concept that one size does not fit all by encouraging agencies to customize their enforcement practices by case type. Under this practice, cases are sorted into groups based on specific criteria, usually payment history, and an enforcement practice is developed for each group. A case stratification pilot was implemented by five Maryland jurisdictions from November 2010 to April 2011. This report examines the payment outcomes of the child support cases included in this pilot. |
The Noncustodial Parent Employment Program:Employment & Payment Outcomes
(April 2011) Catherine E. Born, Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Correne Saunders
| This study takes an empirical look at the early outcomes achieved by noncustodial parents who were referred to Maryland’s Noncustodial Parent Employment Program (NPEP), which provides intensive case management and assistance with conducting a job search. In particular, this study addresses employment and earnings outcomes, and child support payment compliance for the 3,900 NCPs referred to NPEP between January 2007 and December 2008. |
Early Intervention & Child Support Outcomes: Lessons Learned
(February 2009) Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Correne Saunders, Catherine E. Born
| In an effort to reduce the growth of child support arrears balances and boost current support collections, the Office of Child Support Enforcement (U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement, 2005) recommends the adoption of “early intervention” strategies. The goal of early intervention is to engage non-custodial parents in the child support process and develop a relationship with them. |
Child Support Outcomes of Maryland’s In-Hospital Paternity Acknowledgment Program
(June 2007) Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Valerie Head, Catherine E. Born
| This report researches the impact of Maryland's voluntary paternity acknowledgment program by looking atthe child support caseload and comparing if and how certain child support outcomes differ between children for whom paternity was acknowledged and those for whom it was not. |
Arrears Leveraging Pilot Project: Outcomes Achieved & Lessons Learned
(March 2005) Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Correne Saunders, Catherine E. Born
| This report evaluates the ALPP, Maryland's Arrears Leveraging Pilot Project, designed to encourage low-income, non-paying child support obligors to pay their current support by rewarding consistent payment with reduction or elimination of state-owed arrears. |
Maryland's Paternity Acknowledgement Program
(October 2002) Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Catherine E. Born, Shafali Srivastava
| This report attempts to answer the question of who is and who is not participating in Maryland's Paternity Acknowledgement Program, and how many of the childrenof participating parents are known to the State's welfare program within one year of birth. |