Perceptions of fair treatment and child support

Little is known from large-scale studies about whether noncustodial fathers (NCFs) believe the process of setting their financial obligations to their children is fair. We explore NCFs’ perceptions of fair treatment in setting their child support orders, both overall and contingent on the outcomes of the process, and possible factors related to their perceptions of procedural fairness. Using descriptive and multivariate methods on data from over 3,000 NCFs, we found that a multi-faceted intervention increased NCFs perceptions of fair treatment; that NCFs can report the process was fair even if the outcome seems negative; and that some principles of procedural justice (helpfulness, knowledge, and voice) may be associated with perceptions of fair treatment. Implications for agencies serving children and their families, including child support, child welfare, and justice agencies, are discussed.