The most recent census data show that, in the Spring of 1992, 11.5 million families with children had a parent living elsewhere. Among those due support, about half received the full amount, about a quarter received partial payment and about a quarter received nothing. In FY 1998, paternity was established for more than l.5 million children through the CSE Program and voluntary in-hospital acknowledgements, providing vital links between the children and their noncustodial parents. Almost 1.1 million new child support orders were established through the Program in FY 1998. More than four and a half million cases were processed last year by the Federal Parent Locator Service.
Many fathers voluntarily acknowledge paternity.
Otherwise, father, mother, and child can be required to submit to genetic tests in disputed cases. The results are highly accurate. States must have procedures that allow paternity to be established at least up to the child's eighteenth birthday, and hospitals provide fathers the opportunity to acknowledge paternity voluntarily at the time of birth. Support agency staff can take child support cases to court, or to an administrative hearing process to establish the order. Provisions for health insurance coverage must be included in the support order.