Child Support Scheme history
History of the scheme
The Child Support Scheme makes sure children get appropriate support from their parents following separation.
The scheme began in 1988. It responded to concerns about child poverty in single parent families. Before this, separated parents needed a court order for child support, then called child maintenance.
The Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988(Opens external website) established the Child Support Agency. It set out how the registration, collection and enforcement of court orders and court-registered agreements would work.
The Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989(Opens external website) set out how to assess child support using a formula. It came into force on 1 October 1989.
Child support principles
The scheme is based on the principle that separated parents have the primary duty to financially care for their child.
Other principles are:
- support should be based on the parents’ capacity to pay
- parents and carers who have ongoing daily care of children should not have to go to court to get appropriate support
- children should share in changes in the standard of living of both their parents, even when they don’t live with both parents
- Australia should honour its obligations under international agreements and arrangements
- parents and carers should be able to make private arrangements for their children’s support
- the privacy of parents and carers should be protected as much as possible.