Child Support Enforcement and the Function of Family Courts

This week, the New York Times published a story about how the child support enforcement systems and policies in U.S. court create a cycle of non-payment by middle and low income parents: Skip Child Support. Go to Jail. Lose Job. Repeat. Unpaid child support became a big concern in the 1980s and ’90s...
April 22, 2015

The Coming Fees Crisis: Poverty Capitalism in the Courts

  This past week, two important pieces have appeared on NPR and the New York Times bringing attention to the increased practice of levying exploitive fines and fees on indigent people passing through the criminal and civil justice system. The first piece from NPR, based on a report of a S...
August 28, 2014

Innovations in Family Courts

The Domestic Relations Division of the Cook County Court is carefully examining ways to make some significant changes which will improve the level of service for everyone needing to establish parentage of a child, get child support for a child or come to a shared agreement for parenting.  Chicago Ap...
June 11, 2014

Tools: Alternative Small Dollar Loan Toolkit

Chicago Appleseed was pleased to partner with the Illinois Asset Building Coalition in the development of the Alternative Small Dollar Loan Toolkit (ASDL Toolkit). The ASDL Toolkit serves as a resource for banks and credit unions interested in offering a safe, profitable, small dollar loan (SDL) pr...
January 28, 2013