Using child maintenance as a tool to enhance the circumstances, outcomes and wellbeing of lone mothers and children

This research aims to explore the impacts of the payment/non-payment of child maintenance on a range of child and lone-parent socioeconomic and other outcomes. To do so it will use longitudinal quantitative data from children and parents and qualitative data from children.
The research questions for this project are:
1.How does the payment/non-payment of child maintenance affect the socioeconomic situation of lone-parent families? (e.g. in relation to poverty, material deprivation and financial vulnerability)
2.How does the payment/non-payment of child maintenance affect children? (e.g. wellbeing, strengths & difficulties, participation in their peer group, managing issues of contact/money, and relationships with resident and non-resident parents)
3.How does the payment/non-payment of child maintenance affect lone parents? (e.g. wellbeing, mental health, and quality of the relationship/conflict between separated parents?)

Methodology
The quantitative aspect of the research uses the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) data to explore the impacts of the payment/non-payment of child maintenance on a range of outcomes such as: poverty; material deprivation; relationships/conflict between non-resident parents and children, and between separated parents; child and maternal well-being; child strengths & difficulties, and others as the data permit. Using the results of the statistical analyses, themes would be identified for use in the qualitative research. This could include, for example, young people's actions to mitigate the effects of non-payment of child maintenance and to diffuse tensions between their parents.
The MCS follows individuals born in 2000. It has an initial UK sample size of 18,818. Wave 6 of the data became available in 2017 and collects detailed information on children's and parents' lives. Here, the young person is the main respondent for the first time and there is also a questionnaire for parents. The MCS data are sufficiently rich for this project to thoroughly explore the impacts of the frequency/amount of child maintenance on the circumstances, outcomes and well-being of lone-mothers and children.
The quantitative research methods would include: (1) binary logistic regression analyses to explore the characteristics associated with payment/non-payment, (2) propensity score matching, where two groups of respondents are matched on key characteristics, one receives child maintenance/the other does not, to explore differences in child and lone-parent socioeconomic and other outcomes; and (3) structural equation modelling to identify direct and indirect effects and pathways of child maintenance on these outcomes.
Children are part of the research via the dedicated questionnaire of the MCS and via qualitative methods. This mixed-methods approach will use the results of the quantitative analysis to identify themes for use in the qualitative research and, where possible, the qualitative sample would be drawn from the quantitative sample. In this way, the quantitative and qualitative elements will be fully integrated and complementary rather than separate strands investigating the same topic. As a student i would benefit greatly from learning to use this dataset as it is rich, longitudinal and comprehensive and can help answer many policy and research questions pertaining to children and families. While dependent on the initial results of the quantitative analysis, i anticipate qualitative interviews with approximately 30 young people will be undertaken, providing sufficient diversity to answer the research questions. Due account of sensitive interviewing and ethics will be required.