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This publication contains statistical information on child and spousal support payments which are collected from maintenance enforcement programs (MEPs) across Canada. These programs, which exist in each province and territory, provide administrative assistance to recipients to help them collect their support payments. In March 2009, 400,000 cases were registered in the ten reporting MEPs.

Information is collected through the Maintenance Enforcement Survey (MES) and the Survey of Maintenance Enforcement Programs (SMEP). These surveys gather information on the caseload of the MEP, the sex and median age of payors and recipients, typical support amounts, compliance rates, information on arrears, frequency and amount of payments, legislation under which the order for support was made, and types of actions that are initiated in order to enforce support.

The SMEP, a micro data survey, is currently being implemented in some jurisdictions and will eventually replace the MES. This report contains data from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. In future years, with more provinces and territories able to report to the SMEP, a more complete national picture of maintenance enforcement will emerge.

Information by format

([B] = Bilingual; see "Bilingual products" below )

History note

Continues: Child and spousal support: introduction to the Maintenance Enforcement Survey, (1999-2000).

Subjects

Keywords

analytical products, caseloads, children, maintenance enforcement, payments, provincial differences, spouses, support payments, survey methodology.

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Bilingual products

Some bilingual products have changed to separate English and French products. In these cases, back issues are bilingual and the more recent issues are unilingual.

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