The news is pretty sad. According to new U.S. Census Bureau data, monthly averages in 2005 were just $425.

Shameful. I don’t know what else to say but totally shameful.

Highlights from the recent data collection include:

• Support payments totaled $43.4 billion in 2005, an average of $5,600 per provider annually.
• Seventy-three percent of support providers made payments for their own children younger than 21 in 2005.
• The average amount each support provider paid for child support in 2005 was $5,100, for a total of $28.7 billion nationwide.
• About 2.1 million providers supported people other than their children younger than 21, with 40 percent of these providing support for their parents.
• About 87 percent of child support providers were male. In 2005, male support providers spent a median of $3,900 and an average of $5,200 for child support.
• Three-quarters of child support payments were the result of an agreement or court order.
• About six in 10 child support providers paid support for one child, while the remaining four supported two or more children.

I don’t know about you, but as a single mama, $425 is not gonna cut it. I’m lucky. My ex is a bad partner, but nice enough if you’re not involved with him in a relationship, and he’s a decent dad. He gives us much more money that this, with no court order even. We split most everything evenly. If I had to make $425 work, I’m not sure I could.

If you need child support and are dealing with a lame ex, there is help. Visit this informative child support guide from the Beehive - it’ll catch you up on all the basics and provides links to all the enforcement offices you’ll need.