USER FEES AND FAMILY POLICY - ATTEMPTING TO RECOVER COSTS FOR STATE-PROVIDED CHILD-SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

This study looks in depth at three family policy issues surrounding on e state's attempt to recover costs for child support enforcement servi ces provided to nonpublic assistance families. The issues are whether a cost recovery user fee should be assessed; to whom the fee should be assessed; and how to develop a fee structure to meet criteria establi shed by the policy agents. The original study was mandated by the stat e legislature. Recommendations were made to the legislature to continu e one small fee, discontinue another unpopular fee, and institute thre e new broad-based fees that would allow for nearly full cost recovery. In an election year the legislature accepted the first two recommenda tions but chose not to pursue the three new fees. Implications for pol icy development are drawn,focusing on the impact of user fees on servi ce recipients and the role of the public sector in providing services that are available in the private sector in an era of tighter budgets.