TOPEKA—The Kansas Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee is surveying the public on how child support orders are established in the state's courts. The survey is part of a review of the child support guidelines used by Kansas judges that is conducted every four years.
The guidelines are rules used by judges to determine how much each parents' financial responsibility for their children is when the parents do not live together. This amount includes data from national surveys showing how much families spend on housing, transportation, food, health care, entertainment, and others.
Every four years, the Supreme Court is required to update this information and to examine how often judges adjust the basic child support amount to accommodate the unique circumstances of the family and the best interests of the children. The child support guidelines review is currently underway.
The committee is seeking input by surveying the public. The survey, which has a February 12 deadline, is online at the Kansas Supreme Court web site, www.kscourts.org. The guidelines review project examines the rules used to establish child support but does not include questions about visitation or how child support orders are enforced.
The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and allows written comments on how participants believe the child support guidelines can be improved. Information obtained through the survey will be used by the Kansas Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee, which will recommend any changes to the Supreme Court.
The Kansas Child Support Guidelines were established by the Kansas Supreme Court in 1987. Currently, approximately 200,000 Kansans either pay or receive child support for their children. During 2006, over $350 million was paid through the Kansas Child Support Payment Center.
Written copies of the survey and additional information about the Kansas Child Support Guidelines can be obtained by contacting the Office of Judicial Administration, at kansasCSG@kscourts.org or by writing to Kansas Child Support Guidelines Survey, Office of Judicial Administration, 301 SW 10th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66612.