Child support and income inequalities: a cross-continental comparison from welfare design to judicial implementation.

This article examines how child support policies contribute to income inequalities and vary cross-nationally through a detailed comparison of France and Quebec (Canada). It finds that Quebec’s child support system, shaped by a strong feminist movement and neoliberal reforms since the 1990s, emphasizes fathers’ financial responsibilities and relies on mandatory guidelines and universal collection, benefiting middle- and upper-class families but imposing challenges on low-income mothers. In contrast, France’s long-standing family policy prioritizes state redistribution and public guarantees for single mothers, with weaker feminist influence and optional child support guidelines, resulting in more effective support for lower-class families but lower enforcement and smaller private transfers. The study highlights that differences in welfare regimes, legal cultures, feminist activism, and institutional practices shape how child support policies affect gender and class inequalities after parental separation in each jurisdiction.