The Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

This report examines the characteristics and behavior of noncustodial parents (NCP) who are behind on their payments and with a child on welfare. The analysis focuses on unemployed or under-employed NCPs and is based on a close-ended telephone survey of 874 NCP respondents and 424 CP respondents from Los Angeles County, the county with the largest NCP caseload in the state. The study also uses administrative data from the Los Angeles County’s Family Support Bureau (now the Los Angeles County Department of Child Support Services) and Department of Public Social Services, and California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) and Department of Social Services.