Child support amounts in Massachusetts are absolutely insufficient and do not meet the needs of the children of the Commonwealth. Over the past decade child support has been steadily reduced as custody parents face ever increasing costs for housing, childcare and health care. This practice places a disproportionate financial burden on parents who are already struggling with unpaid child-rearing responsibilities. In the guidelines, child support is interpreted as a “minimum cost exercise” rather than a public policy to protect the welfare of children in Massachusetts.

The actual cost of living in Massachusetts is disproportionately higher than most other states, and the rising cost is significantly outpacing Massachusetts income growth. At the same time, child support amounts for children paid by unconscious parents in Massachusetts have steadily declined as a concerted effort has been made to reduce the financial obligations of these unconscious parents. When child support obligations are inadequate, caregivers must take on loans or additional jobs, deplete assets or retirement accounts, sacrifice basic needs, or even seek public support. The harm to children is far-reaching. Reduced economic opportunities, poverty and indebtedness can all have generational effects on families.

One of the biggest reasons for the higher cost of living is the exorbitant cost of childcare. Massachusetts is the first of 50 states in terms of cost. At the national level, most government guidelines share these costs in proportion to parents’ income. This approach minimizes the economic impact of work-related childcare on both parents and actively encourages employee participation.

Instead of following the national standard, the 2017 Child Benefit Guidelines set an upper limit of 15% for the amount of child benefit for reimbursement of childcare costs. For example, a child benefit order of $ 100 per week with a 15% cap will adjust the order by as little as $ 15 or less regardless of the amount of childcare costs. The Massachusetts court should recognize that work-related childcare is a necessity, the cost of which should be shared among parents.

Another recent decrease in child support amounts that harms children is the 25% decrease in total allowance when a child turns 18. The cost doesn’t go up and down for 18-23 year olds even if they’re not in college. Child support has been arbitrarily reduced with no evidence or facts about actual consumption by these young adult children, whose support is still dependent on their parents.

The total cost for children increases significantly as additional children are added to the family. To offset the increased costs, adjustments to the calculated child benefit based on the number of children are added. The current adjustments for additional children in Massachusetts are significantly lower – nearly 50% lower – than national averages and adjacent state benchmarks. Setting maintenance amounts for several children under the national benchmarks is insufficient to meet the basic needs of families with more than one child.

Child benefit is only intended to cover the needs of the child and not to support the custody parent or the ex-spouse. However, in the event of a divorce, the court may also require assistance in providing economic resources to meet the needs of an ex-spouse who is not earning a wage or a lower wage.

One of the most alarming factors in Massachusetts child support policy is that spouses who are eligible for spousal allowance are denied the right to it. Instead, they receive support that is exclusively intended for their child or children. Massachusetts is the only state that can and does revoke a party’s right to spousal support as a policy. A “child penalty” or a “child tax” is levied for these spouses. They receive less support for children than they would have received if they had been childless and only received support from their spouses. Parents with custody who are entitled to spousal support should receive it in addition to, not instead of, child benefit.

Child support guidelines should reflect public policies that recognize and protect the best interests of the children of the Commonwealth.

Christina Pavlina is the executive director and Lori Johnson is a board member of Jane Does Well, a divorce support group in the greater Boston area.