There is no such thing as a national deadbeat dad list. While there are federal laws that address the topic of child support, there isn't a national database, and the federal government does not get involved with enforcement. To recover overdue child support from a nonpaying parent, you must notify the child support agency in your state. The agency then prosecutes the parent to collect overdue and future child support on your child's behalf.
Federal Child Support Laws
There are two federal child support laws that dictate what can and should be done with parents who aren't paying child support.
The Child Support Recovery Act
The Child Support Recovery Act of 1992 prescribes misdemeanor penalties for parents who fail to pay child support. For a court to levy these penalties, the parent must be required by a court order to pay child support, and there must be documented evidence of said parent's failure to pay.
The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act
The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act of 1998 prescribes felony punishments for nonpaying parents who cross state lines in an attempt to evade making child support payments. For prosecution, multiple state's law enforcement and child support agencies work together to locate and return the nonpaying parent to the state in which he or she owes child support. For prosecution, the nonpaying parent must owe more than $5,000, be able to pay the overdue support, have intentionally not made required payments and have crossed state lines to avoid making payments.
State-Level Enforcement
Financial support is considered the right of the child and not the parent. Therefore, child support failure-to-pay proceedings are managed by each state's child support enforcement agency on behalf of the child and child support laws vary from one state to another. Some agencies will assist you with obtaining a court order declaring the child's right to financial support, while others require that you complete this step on your own.
If you are owed child support, contact your state child support enforcement agency. The agency will work to locate the nonpaying parent and collect child support payments on your child's behalf.
Federal Child Support Agency
The federal government operates the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, to help custodial parents collect child support payments. This agency helps custodial parents file in court to receive child support payments, locates nonpaying parents and helps determine paternity when it is in dispute. It does not collect child support payments, but will work with state agencies during the recovery process.
