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The New York State Child Support Standards Act of 1989 established guidelines, effective September 15, 1989, to be used in setting minimum and meaningful standards of child support obligations that are based on the premise that both parents share the responsibilities for child support. These guidelines were developed to comply with federal requirements and are used for all orders of child support in New York State. The guidelines are found in section 413 of the Family Court Act and section 240(1-b) of the Domestic Relations Law.

The guidelines are reviewed every four years to assess if the application of the guidelines result in appropriate child support order amounts. New York State, like all states, must analyze case data and consider economic data on the cost of raising children in the State and, as of 2023, consider other factors, including labor market data and issues impacting employment rates among noncustodial parents.

To meet the review requirement, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Division of Child Support Services (OTDA DCSS) contracted with the Center for Policy Research (CPR). CPR analyzed sample data from the caseloads of local child support offices to determine whether the guidelines were applied properly and the occurrence of deviations. The results of the review are provided in a formal report, which may include recommendations.

OTDA DCSS considers the outcome of each review to determine if changes to the child support guidelines are required to ensure the application of the guidelines result in appropriate child support order amounts. If changes to the Child Support Standards Act are necessary, OTDA submits amendments to the State legislature.

The latest reports submitted by CPR are available in the links below. The date of the next quadrennial review is 2027.

New York Child Support Guidelines Review reports: