Reports on Child Support

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Reports related to custody and access issues are available on the Parenting After Divorce Web Site.

Additional research reports on issues related to families and children can be found on the Research and Statistics Web Site.

Inventory of Government-based Family Justice Services
This report provides a general overview of family justice services across Canada along with a legislative overview of various family law issues such as: child custody and access, parenting, contact, the best interests of the child, child support, spousal and partner support, taxation of support and enforcement. Section 4, the Profiles of Jurisdictions, offers a listing of provincial and territorial family justice services*. (August 2007)
(*Note: The list of family justice services available in the province of Quebec is not yet available and will be added at a later date.)

Moving On: The Expansion of the Family Network After Parents Separate (HTML, PDF) (2004-FCY-9E) by Heather Juby, Céline Le Bourdais and Nicole Marcil-Gratton
This is the third of three reports commissioned by the Department of Justice Canada that use family history data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) to explore the impact of parents' conjugal behaviour on their children's family environment and economic well-being.

When Parents Separate: Further Findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (HTML, PDF) (2004-FCY-6E) by Heather Juby, Nicole Marcil-Gratton and Céline Le Bourdais
This report was commissioned by the Department of Justice Canada as part of a project using data from the “Family History and Custody” section of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) to explore the impact of parents' family transitions on children's family environment and economic well-being. This is the first of two reports exploring the way in which parents' conjugal behaviour shapes the family life course of their children. (April 2005)

Phase 2 of the Survey of Child Support Awards: Final Report (HTML, PDF) (2004-FCY-7E) by Lorne D. Bertrand, PhD, Joseph P. Hornick, PhD, Joanne J. Paetsch, BA, and Nicholas Bala, LLM
This report summarizes the interim findings of Phase 2 of the Survey of Child Support Awards project, which began in the fall of 1998. The report presents the results of the analysis of data collected from the fall of 1998 through November 14, 2003. (April 2005)

Report of the Follow-Up Committee on the Quebec Model for the Determination of Child Support Payments (HTML, PDF)
This paper presents the activities and recommendations of the Committee on the Quebec Model for the Determination of Child Support Payments. It was originally published in French by the Ministère de la Justice du Québec under the title, Rapport du Comité de suivi du modèle québécois de fixation des pensions alimentaires pour enfants. This translation was commissioned by the Department of Justice Canada. The original and official version is available on the Internet site of the Ministère de la Justice du Québec. (July 2004)

Evaluation of the B.C. Family Maintenance Enforcement Program’s Pilot Outreach Project (HTML, PDF) (2004-FCY-4E) by Focus Consultants
This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the British Columbia Family Maintenance Enforcement Program’s (FMEP) Pilot Outreach Project. The Pilot Outreach Project (POP) consists of three educational/outreach and enforcement components that involve payors and recipients of maintenance payments. (July 2004)

Linking Family Change, Parents' Employment and Income and Children's Economic Well-Being: A Longitudinal Perspective: An Analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (HTML, PDF) (2003-FCY-2E) by Heather Juby, Céline Le Bourdais and Nicole Marcil-Gratton
This report was commissioned by the Department of Justice Canada to continue analyses of data from the Family History and Custody section of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). (March 2004)

The Survey of Child Support Awards: Analysis of Phase 2 Data Collected Through January 31, 2002 (HTML, PDF ) (2003-FCY-4E) Prepared by Lorne D. Bertrand, PhD, Joseph P. Hornick, PhD, Joanne J. Paetsch, BA., Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family and Nicholas Bala, LLM, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
This report presents the results of the analysis of data collected from Phase 2 of the child support award monitoring project, which began in the fall of 1998 and continued through January 31, 2002. (March 2004)

Research on Compliance with Child Support Orders and Agreements in Prince Edward Island (HTML, PDF ) (2003-FCY-1E) Prepared by Alderson-Gill & Associates Consulting Inc.
This research project was conceived as an analysis of compliance in Prince Edward Island, and a test to help assess the methodologies for studying compliance in other provinces. (January 2004)

Federal Funding of Provincial and Territorial Child Support, Support Enforcement and Child Custody and Access Projects (1997-2001) (HTML, PDF)
The Department of Justice Canada established the Child Support Initiative in 1996 to help implement the Federal Child Support Guidelines and new and enhanced support enforcement measures. A key element of these efforts was the Child Support Implementation and Enforcement Fund. In effect, the Fund provided financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments to cover part of the costs they incurred to implement child support guidelines and new enforcement measures. (December 2003)

Final Federal-Provincial-Territorial Report on Custody and Access and Child Support - Putting Children First (HTML, PDF)
This report represents the results of the Custody and Access Project of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Family Law Committee, which was initiated at the request of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Justice. The federal, provincial and territorial government s participated in this work. The deputy ministers also asked the committee to review the child support guidelines. The report is the result of extensive research and consultations with family law professionals, parents, advocacy groups and interested Canadians, as well as lengthy federal-provincial-territorial discussions to develop recommendations for future action. (November 2002)

Children Come First:  A Report to Parliament on the Provisions and Operation of the Federal Child Support Guidelines
When Parliament passed legislation to create the Federal Child Support Guidelines, a special provision was added to the Divorce Act -- a provision stating that, five years after implementation (on May 1, 1997), the Minister of Justice would report to Parliament on how well the Guidelines were working.   Children Come First:   A Report to Parliament on the Provisions and Operation of the Federal Child Support Guidelines is the result of this review.  (April 2002)

Family Mediation Canada Consultation on Custody, Access and Child Support (HTML, PDF) (2001-FCY-11E) by Joanne J. Paetsch, B.A., Lorne D. Bertrand, Ph.D., and Joseph P. Hornick, Ph.D. (Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family)
The purpose of this survey was to obtain feedback from mediators about their experiences with custody and access issues and the Guidelines, as well as their perceptions of the need for changes, both legislative and otherwise, in these areas. Participants were asked to comment on issues and policy options based on their professional knowledge and experience. (February 2002)

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Consultations on Custody, Access and Child Support in Canada
Working together, federal, provincial and territorial governments initiated a consultation process in April 2001 to give Canadians the opportunity to share their views with governments on custody, access and child support issues. The final report on these consultations is now available online. (November 2001)

Licence Suspension and Denial: Overview of a New Mechanism for Child Support Enforcement (HTML, PDF) (CSR-2001-1E) by Sharon Moyer.
This report examines the various licence denial and suspension programs in place across the United States and Canada that encourage compliance with child support orders. The types of licences examined for the study include drivers' licences, occupational licences and passports. (September 2001)

Federation of Law Societies of Canada: Consultation on Child Support Guidelines and Custody and Access (HTML, PDF) (2001-FCY-10E) by Federation of Law Societies of Canada and Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family.
The purpose of this project was to get feedback from lawyers and judges about their experiences and perceptions regarding the Federal Child Support Guidelines and the issues of custody and access. The project was undertaken by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC) on behalf of the Department of Justice Canada. The Federation worked in partnership with the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family (CRILF). (August 2001)

The Survey of Child Support Awards: Interim Analysis of Phase 2 Data (October 1998 to March 2000) (HTML, PDF) (CSR-2001-2E) by Lorne D. Bertrand, PhD et al.
This interim report summarizes the findings of phase 2 of this project, which began in the fall of 1998. The report is divided into two parts. Part 1 describes the processing of divorce cases involving child support orders, and documents issues related to the process at different sites involved in the project. Part 2 presents the results of the analysis of the data collected from the fall of 1998 through March 16, 2000. (July 2001)

Keeping Contact with Children: Assessing the Father/Child Post-separation Relationship from the Male Perspective (HTML, PDF) (CSR-2000-3) by Céline Le Bourdais, Heather Juby and Nicole Marcil-Gratton.
The authors analyzed variations in the frequency of father/child contact following parental separation using data from the General Social Survey on the Family, carried out in 1995 by Statistics Canada. Separated parents replied to questions concerning the amount of time each of their children had spent with them, and with their other parent, during the year preceding the survey. This information made it possible to take into consideration men's attitudes towards, and perceptions of, their parental role. (March 2001)

The Survey of Child Support Awards: Preliminary Analysis of Phase 2 Data (October 1998 - May 1999) (HTML, PDF) (CSR-2000-2E) by Lorne D. Bertrand et al.
The Survey of Child Support Awards was established to monitor how the Federal Child Support Guidelines are being implemented in selected court sites across Canada. (August 2000)

Selected Statistics on Canadian Families and Family Law: Second Edition (HTML, PDF)  (CSR-2000-1E)
This report contains information on families in Canada, characteristics of those families and information on family law topics such as marriage, divorce, support awards, payment of child support, and custody and access. (March 2000)

Child Support Implementation and Enforcement Projects Funded from 1997 to 1999 (HTML, PDF)
This report provides an overview of provincial and territorial projects financed through the Child Support Implementation and Enforcement Fund from 1997 to 1999. (2000)

Phase I Report of Feasibility Study on New Hire Programs for Canada: New Hire Programs in the United States (HTML, PDF) (CSR-1999-4E) by Sharon Moyer and Tina Hotton.
Looks at new employee reporting programs in the United States and their feasibility in Canada. (October 1999)

The Survey of Child Support Awards: Final Analysis of Pilot Data and Recommendations for Continued Data Collection (PDF) (CSR-1999-2E) by Joseph P. Hornick, Ph.D. et al.
A preliminary look at the factors affecting how divorce cases involving child support orders are processed at selected court sites in Canada. (July 1999)

Custody, Access and Child Support: Findings from The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (PDF) (CSR-1999-3E) by Nicole Marcil-Gratton and Celine LeBourdais.
This report presents the results of an analysis of the cycle 1 data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY),"Family History and Custody" section.  The data provides a unique means to study, over an extended period, how different aspects of children's environments influence their development. (June 1999)

Child Support Initiative: Research Framework  (CSR-1998-1B)
Overview of research to be carried out to monitor the implementation of the guidelines. (March 1999)

Summary of Report on Research Strategy for Studying Compliance/Default on Child Support Orders
This bulletin provides a brief summary of the first research project on this topic for the Child Support Team of the Department of Justice Canada. (February 1999)

Child Support Processes: Options for Canada (CSR-1997-3E) by Mary MacDonald, B.A., LL.B.
This report looks at some successful child support programs operating in other countries. (March 1997)

Expedited Child Support (CSR-1997-4E) by Mary MacDonald, B.A., LL.B.
An Overview of the Commonwealth Countries' and United States' Procedures for Establishing and Modifying Child Support (March 1997)

Formula for the Table of Amounts Contained in the Federal Child Support Guidelines: A Technical Report (HTML, PDF)(CSR-1997-1E)
The objective of this technical report is to explain the mathematical formula that generates the table amounts. (December 1997)

Report on the Creation of the Child Support Award Database: Executive Summary (HTML) by Dr. Daniel Stripinis (June 1994)