A Look at Custodial Parents and Child Support in the U.S

"Raising children can be an expensive endeavor. A child recently born and raised to adulthood in the United States can cost almost $250,000, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

For many families, receiving cash and noncash assistance from the noncustodial parent is a critical source of supporting income. In 2014, about one-quarter of children living in families, or  22.1 million children under age 21, lived with only one of their parents. About five in six of these 13.4 million custodial parents were mothers (82.5 percent).

These data come from the 2013 Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Supportreport from the 2014 Current Population Survey. It provides demographic information about custodial parents, as well as child support and other income or program data..."
Custodial parents

Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2011

"This report focuses on the child support income that  custodial parents reported receiving from noncustodial  parents living elsewhere, and other types of support,
such as health insurance and noncash assistance..."
Custodial mothers and fathers

Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009

"This report focuses on the child support income that custodial parents reported
receiving from noncustodial parents living elsewhere, and other types of support,
such as health insurance and noncash assistance. The most recent data in this report are from the Child Support Supplement to the April 2010 Current Population Survey (CPS). It provides demographic information about custodial parents as of 2010, as well as child support and other income or program data for the 2009 calendar year.."