Study shows fathers contribute in ways other than child support

Wisconsin fathers who are noncustodial parents may be interested in a new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family in June that says the phenomenon of “deadbeat dads” who do not pay child support is overstated. In fact, according to the 2011 census, roughly the same percentage of mothers and fathers who are ordered to pay child support do so in full.

The study found that what one of the authors called “marginally employed” men still found ways to contribute to their children’s lives even if their record of paying child support suggested otherwise. The study found that among 367 lower-income fathers, almost half offered some sort of in-kind support such as school supplies or food. While only about 25 percent of the men paid court-recognized child support, roughly another 28 percent gave money directly to the mother.

Only 66 of the fathers in the study did not contribute any money at all to their children, but even among those men, the study found their in-kind contributions amounted to about $63 per month. According to the researchers, for many of these men, giving items instead of court-ordered child support made them feel more like providers and strengthened their bonds with their children.

While there are guidelines in place that determine how much child support will be ordered in a given case, parents may wish to obtain the assistance of family law attorneys to deal with these issues. Parents should also keep in mind that the amount of child support that they have been ordered to pay might be reduced if they have a change in material circumstances such as a job loss. However, in such a case, it is still necessary to go to court to request a modification, and until that point, the parent will still owe the amount that is ordered.