Join us for IWPR’s 2026 Power+ Summit, The Power Grid: Driving Gender Equity Forward, taking place September 28–29 in Detroit, MI.
Together, we will spark bold ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of gender equity.
When signing the most current welfare legislation, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). President Clinton Stated that “If every parent paid the child support that he or she owes legally today, we could move 800,000 women and children off welfare immediately” (quoted in Children Today, 1997). Although many share the President’s expectations that greater child support enforcement and collections would help to meet the financial needs of children on welfare, it is uncertain whether the collection of such support is likely or if this support will be enough to help these children move out of poverty.