30 Years
In 2019, both the Australian child support system and the Convention on the Rights of the Child turned 30 years old. This significant milestone, and the recently-announced Inquiry into Family Law and Child Support, provides the impetus to revisit the rationale of the child support system.

Much has been written about the need for the child support system to be “fair” and that its cornerstone is the “best interest of the child”. Examining these principles against the system’s current-day operation was the broad objective of this survey. Of chief importance was gaining insight from women who 
identify as child support customers