Knowledge of Child Support Policy Rules: How Little We Know

Abstract

People participating in a demonstration project on Wisconsin child support and welfare had little knowledge about child support policy rules. This research, one of the few that examine how much individuals know about policy rules that could affect them, suggests that poeple tend to learn policy rules through experience. The authors find less consistent support for knowledge being imparted during interactions with caseworkers. They discuss the implications of the lack of participant knowledge for policy evaluations.