Child support failure costs children and Budget
Anti-Poverty Week and the National Council for Single Mothers and Their Children are urging the Albanese government to reform the child support system, which has failed to collect over $2 billion owed to children. One-third of parents in the Agency Collect scheme have debts more than a month old, a sharp increase since 2015. This failure contributes to high child poverty rates, especially among sole-parent families. The organisations call for tax enforcement to ensure child support payments, emphasising that non-payment impacts children’s futures and adds stress to single mothers. Reforms are needed to reduce child poverty in Australia.