RD419 - The Child Support Guidelines Review Panel Quadrennial Report: 2009


Executive Summary:
Program Background and Primary Purposes

Effective since October 1989, under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security law (45 CFR Ch. 1II, §302.56), every state is required to establish plans having one set of guidelines to be administered by judicial or administrative action, for setting and modifying child support award amounts within the state.

The state must have procedures for making the guidelines available to all whose duty it is to set child support award amounts. At minimum, these guidelines must:

• Take into consideration all earnings and income of the noncustodial parent;

• Be based on specific descriptive and numeric criteria and result in a computation of the support obligation; and

• Provide for the child(ren)'s health care needs, through health insurance coverage or other means.

The State must include a copy of the guidelines in its State plan.

The State must review, and revise if appropriate, the guidelines established above, at least once every four years to ensure that their application results in the determination of appropriate child support award amounts, along with some additional detailed requirements.

Virginia's State plan complying with the above took effect on October 13,1989, with presumptive guidelines for setting child support obligations available to the public in accordance with §302.56. A copy of the Guidelines is also maintained in the State Plan files.