Child Support Scheme | Australian Public Policy

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIOLOGY
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Sociology

Sociology 1
Introduction
This report aims on Australian public policy that target children group that is “Child
Support Scheme”. This scheme was introduced by the government of Australia for welfare of
children who are suffering because of separation of their parents or because of divorce. The
below sections highlight the Child support scheme amendments and changes that were made in
order to ensure the more outcome of this scheme. Further, the report highlights different reforms
in this scheme and impact that this scheme had on the society in Australia.
Australian Public Policy
Child Support Scheme
Child Support Scheme purpose is to ensure that children whose parents are separated get
the appropriate level of financial support. In Australia, DSS (Departmental of Social Services)
has the responsibility to take steps to improve the scheme and to ensure children get proper
support through this scheme. In this scheme, parents of Children apply for child support
facilities and assessment that includes collection and transfer of fund to children on time. The
scheme was started in 1988 in order to protect the children after divorce of their parents.
Australia was facing issues related to the poverty of children and women following divorce and
separation and the increasing expenditure by the government for maintenance of children where
the other parent did not contribute a single penny for their upbringing (Cook, McKenzie &
Knight,2011).
Further, child support scheme run by the Department of human resources in the Australia.
The scheme ensures the upbringing of children get never affected because of separation of their

Sociology 2
parents. The act ensures that children get the right and facilities that they are liable for from their
parents. This scheme works to support children along with that all the concerns of parents are
taken into consideration. In a nutshell, this scheme aims to make sure that children get proper
financial aid, both parents take care of children even after separation, ensures on time payment to
children and equal responsibility to parents.
Changes in Policies
The scheme was launched in 1988, after that some changes that were made in the
scheme included; a major inquiry was conducted in 1993 for effectiveness and the operation of
the scheme and in that inquiry 163 recommendations were given to enhance the scheme. The key
changes were the introduction of minimum payment $260 a year, an increase to the payer
‘exempt income amount’ for self-support, a reduction to the payee ‘disregarded income
statement, the ability to credit up to 25 percent of child support liability and introduced internal
objectives process (Vnuk,2017).
In 2003, further changes were also made that included the child custody arrangements at
the time of family breakdown and after that ministerial taskforce established to examine the child
support formula. In 2006 to 2008 major changes in the scheme were made as recommended by
Taskforce. That included increase in the amount of liability from 25 percent to 30 percent,
introduced fairer assessment of parents capacity to earn, providing separated parents time limit
up to 13 weeks to think on the decision, and flexible arrangement and legal support to parents
who settle the matter through agreements (Bandra, Sailey, Mathiesen, McCarthy & Jones,2018).
In March 2014, an inquiry was conducted in which it was analyzed that child support
scheme worked well in majority of cases but again 25 recommendations or changes that