That’s the share of court-ordered child support payments Mississippi collected in 2024, the lowest rate in the nation. The state gathered just over half of the payments judges ordered parents to make, compared with a 65 percent national average, according to federal data. Lawmakers are considering legislation to intercept gambling and sports-betting winnings from parents behind on payments, a move supporters say could help the 153,964 Mississippi children whose custodial parents are owed about $1.7 billion in unpaid support.
