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Transcript of 1 Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgements Who Signs Them? What Difference Does It Make? Workshop...
1
Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgements
Who Signs Them? What Difference Does It Make?
Workshop presented at the 25th Annual Training ConferenceMaryland Joint Child Support Council, October 2006
This research was funded by the Maryland Department of Human Resources, Child Support Enforcement Administration
Pamela C. Ovwigho & Joohee Yum
University of Maryland
School of Social Work
2
Workshop Outline
TriviaBackgroundGeographic analysis of non-marital births & affidavitsAudience discussion Who signs affidavits?What difference does an affidavit make for child support?ConclusionsTrivia answers & prizes
3
Paternity Establishment
Determining an individual’s legal father
Paternity establishment is important for individual children, parents, the child support program, & the state
4
Why Paternity Matters to the Individual Child & Parent
Sense of IdentityRelationshipMedical backgroundChild Support Social Security blanket
protectionRight of inheritanceVisitation / Custody
5
Why Paternity Matters to the Child Support Program
Necessary before a support order can be established
Higher paternity establishment rate = more incentive $
6
Why Paternity Matters to the State
States must meet a 90% paternity establishment threshold.
National IV-D caseload: 83.4% of children born out of wedlock have paternity established.
Maryland’s rate was 86.5%Source: Office of Child Support Enforcement (2006). Child Support Enforcement (CSE) FY 2005 Preliminary Report.
7
In-hospital voluntary paternity acknowledgements are an effective way to increase paternity establishment
Provide easy access to parents at “the magic moment”
Legal finding of paternity
Contains information on father that can be used for location
Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgements
8
In calendar year 2005, paternity affidavits were filed for 18,172 children
7 out of 10 non-marital births
Approximately 82% of the paternities reported in the federal statistics are from affidavits*
Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgements Statistics
*Source: Author calculations from September 2005 OCSE 157 report for Maryland.
9
Paternity Affidavits: Top Ten Facilities in CY 2005
Holy Cross Hospital 2234
Prince George’s Hospital Center 1386
Mercy Medical Center 1163
Franklin Square Hospital Center 1076
Anne Arundel Medical Center 899
The Johns Hopkins Hospital 834
Peninsula Regional Medical Center 794
Maryland General Hospital 717
Greater Baltimore Medical Center 712
Sinai Hospital 682Source: University of MD VAPP database
10
Geographic Distribution of Non-Marital Births
and Affidavits
Analyzed data for 35 birthing facilities in Maryland
Using Geographic Information System (GIS), facilities are displayed on maps with unmarried birth rate & affidavit rate (2004, 2005, 2006)
20
Audience Discussion
How can you use affidavits in your daily work?
What do you see as the main benefits?
Any concerns or issues?
21
SSW Fax Back Service
444
1734
3891
5098
7242
8806
7348 7331
5496
0
1000
20003000
4000
5000
6000
70008000
9000
10000
Nu
mb
er
of
inq
uir
ies
The number of callers steadily increased until 2003.
In the first 9 months of 2006, SSW staff handled almost 5500 affidavit requests.
Source: Author calculations from SSW faxback database.*Through September
22
SSW Fax Back Service
81%75%71%61%61%53%49%55%
69%
0%10%
20%30%
40%50%
60%70%
80%90%
100%
Not Found
Found
In most cases, an inquiry results in the location of an affidavit.
Source: Author calculations from SSW Fax Back database.*Through September
23
SSW Fax Back Service
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Alle
gany
Anne A
rundel
Balti
more
County
Calv
ert
Caro
line
Carr
oll
Cecil
Charles
Dorc
heste
r
Fre
derick
Garr
ett
Harf
ord
How
ard
Kent
Montg
om
ery
Prince G
eorg
e's
Queen A
nne's
St. M
ary
's
Som
ers
et
Talb
ot
Washin
gto
n
Wic
om
ico
Worc
este
r
% of inquiries % of affidavits
Jurisdictions vary in their use of the faxback service.
Source: Author calculations from SSW affidavit & faxback database. Year 2004 data.
Baltimore City:
48.9% of inquiries
22.0% of affidavits
24
What Difference Do Affidavits Make?
We have been researching three main questions:
Who signs affidavits? Do affidavit kids become IV-D
kids? YES! Are the child support outcomes
different if there is an affidavit? YES, they are better!
25
Who Signs Paternity Affidavits?
Limited data comparability between DVR & affidavits, particularly for fathers
In general, affidavit signers resemble the non-marital birth population.
Data suggest that older mothers may be more likely to sign an affidavit than younger mothers.
Source: Authors’ calculations from DHMH extract data.
26
Who Signs Paternity Affidavits?
16%
57%
69%76%
71%
81%
38%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
% of non-m arital b irths w ith an affidavit
under 15
15-17
18-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35 & o lde r
Source: Authors’ calculations from DHMH extract data for births in CY 2005.
Younger mothers are less likely to have a signed affidavit.
Mother’s age
3566
115
1860
9718
5799
3057
2044
27
Do Affidavit Children Become IV-D Children?
1 out of 3 affidavit children become IV-D children in their first year of life.
32% 33%
24%
57%
73%
22%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
% w/in 1 year of birth
Child Support
TCA
Food Stamps
MA
M-CHP
Any
Source: Ovwigho, Born, & Srivastava (2002). Maryland’s Paternity Acknowledgement Program: Participant Entries into the Public Child Support & Welfare Programs.
28
Do Affidavit Children Become IV-D Children?
3 out of 5 affidavit children become IV-D children by their 5th birthday
57%
45%38%
70%
87%
24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
% w/in 5 years of birth
Child Support
TCA
Food Stamps
MA
M-CHP
Any
Source: Ovwigho, Born, & Bouchet (2006). Do In-Hospital Paternity Programs Reach Future IV-D Clients? Child Support Quarterly.
29
Do Affidavit Children Become IV-D Children?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Allegany
Anne A
rundel
Baltim
ore
Calv
ert
Caro
line
Carr
oll
Cecil
Charles
Dorc
heste
r
Fre
derick
Garr
ett
Harf
ord
How
ard
Kent
Montg
om
ery
Prince G
eorg
e's
Queen A
nne's
St
Mary
's
Som
ers
et
Talb
ot
Washin
gto
n
Wic
om
ico
Worc
este
r
Baltim
ore
City
Local jurisdictions vary. In Baltimore City, 4 out of 5 affidavit children become IV-D children by their 5th
birthday.
Source: Author calculations for children born in CY 2000.
30
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
Of all children born out of wedlock in 2001 who became known to the child support system by their 1st birthday, about half had a paternity
affidavit.
47%
53%
AffidavitNo Affidavit
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
31
Children with an affidavit are more likely to have an order for current support established before their 4th birthday.
45 .7%
32.2%
0 .0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%%
wit
h a
n o
rde
r fo
r c
urr
en
t s
up
po
rt
Affid avitNo Affid avit
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
32
Orders for current support are established slightly faster, on average, for children with affidavits.
14 .6
12
15 .1
12
0 5 10 15 20
Mean
Median
Months from birth to o rder es tablishment
No Affid avitAffid avit
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
33
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
Payment rates are similar for those with an affidavit & those without.
71.9%
79.2%79.8%
80.4%
77.1%77.1%
72.2%
76.3%
66 .0%
68.0%
70.0%
72.0%
74.0%
76.0%
78.0%
80.0%
82.0%
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4*
Pe
rce
nt
pa
yin
g a
ny
su
pp
ort
Affid avitNo affid avit
among those owing any court-ordered support
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
34
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
Among children with an order, those with an affidavit receive the same amount of child support than those
without an affidavit.
$846
$1,646
$1,892 $1,944$1,786 $1,848
$855
$1,561
$0
$500
$1 ,000
$1 ,500
$2 ,000
$2 ,500
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Av
era
ge
cu
rre
nt
su
pp
ort
re
ce
ive
d
am
on
g c
hild
ren
wit
h o
rde
rs
Affid avitNo affid avit
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
35
Affidavits & Child Support Outcomes
Affidavit children are better off as a group in terms of support received.
On average, children with an affidavit receive an additional $700 in support in their first four years of life.
$180
$559$714
$787
$2,240
$485
$1,515
$531
$123
$376
$0
$500
$1 ,000
$1 ,500
$2 ,000
$2 ,500
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Tota l
Av
era
ge
Su
pp
ort
Co
lle
cte
d p
er
Ch
ild Affid avit
No affid avit
Source: Ovwigho, Head, & Born (forthcoming). What difference does it make? Child support outcomes of paternity affidavits.
36
Conclusions
Affidavits are critical to Maryland’s child support program in meeting performance measures & improving child support outcomes
Affidavits are critical to Maryland’s children in providing them a legal father & increasing the likelihood that they will receive child support early in life
Creative thinking about ways to expand the reach & use of affidavits may yield high payoffs in terms of the child support program & the children it serves.
37
Trivia Answers
1. False 9. True
2. True 10. True
3. False 11. True
4. False 12. True
5. True 13. True
6. False 14. False
7. False 15. True
8. True And the winner is . . .