By L.A. Loss & Abortion Doula
“You can always get child support.”
For a woman considering whether to continue a pregnancy, that reassurance may leave important questions unanswered. How much support would arrive? Would payments be consistent? Could she cover rent, diapers, child care, and transportation if that money did not come?
A published analysis of preliminary federal data reports approximately $113.4 billion in past-due child support across cases handled by U.S. state and territorial child-support agencies as of September 30, 2025. Approximately 8.3 million cases had overdue support. This is accumulated debt from multiple years, rather than payments missed in one year.
Putting $113.4 Billion in Perspective
The scale of unpaid child support becomes clearer when compared with national economies. The $113.4 billion in accumulated overdue support exceeds the annual economic output of each country listed below.
| Country | Annual GDP, 2024 | Population, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | $113.216 billion | 18,406,359 |
| Oman | $107.137 billion | 5,281,538 |
| Angola | $103.081 billion | 37,885,849 |
| Sri Lanka | $99.616 billion | 21,916,000 |
| Costa Rica | $96.716 billion | 5,129,910 |
| Croatia | $92.982 billion | 3,866,200 |
| Ghana | $83.289 billion | 34,427,414 |
| Tanzania | $79.236 billion | 68,560,157 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | $75.716 billion | 109,276,265 |
| Uganda | $53.912 billion | 50,015,092 |
Source: World Bank, 2024 nominal GDP in current U.S. dollars and total population. data.worldbank.org
Entire nations produce less in a year than the amount owed in overdue child support. Behind that debt are children whose daily needs continue whether payments arrive or not. When fathers deliberately withhold support they can afford to pay, they leave their own children without money intended for their care and shift the financial burden onto the other parent.
The comparison illustrates the size of the debt, but the measures are different: unpaid child support is a balance accumulated over multiple years, while GDP measures economic production during a single year. GDP is not the government budget a nation operates on. The debt total also does not establish how many parents deliberately withheld payments versus were unable to afford them.
For a woman planning how to raise a child, the immediate concern is her own household: whether the support she expects will arrive consistently enough to help pay the bills.
For women in Los Angeles, the cost of everyday necessities helps explain why dependable support matters.
What Monthly Expenses Can Look Like in Los Angeles
The following figures provide local benchmarks and a sample diaper budget. They combine different sources and reporting years; they are not a single measured average of what every family spends.
| Expense | Monthly amount | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Two-bedroom rent | $2,838 | Zillow’s average for two-bedroom rental properties in the city of Los Angeles, updated October 28, 2026. |
| Pampers diapers | $54–$90 | An illustrative budget using 180–300 diapers per month at approximately $0.30 each. |
| Full-time infant child care | $1,209–$1,818 | Reported 2024 Los Angeles County median prices: family child-care home versus child-care center. |
| Transportation | About $837 | MIT’s 2026 modeled transportation budget for one adult and one child in Los Angeles County, divided into monthly costs. |
Rent: The two-bedroom figure is a housing benchmark, not a requirement for every mother and baby. Neighborhood, apartment size, shared housing, and existing rental arrangements can substantially change what a woman pays.
Pampers: Target listed a 150-count box of Pampers Baby-Dry size 4 diapers at $44.99, or approximately $0.30 per diaper. At that unit price, an assumed six to ten changes daily over 30 days would cost roughly $54–$90. This is a calculation, not a measured monthly average. A baby’s size, diaper style, and changing needs affect the actual cost; wipes and sales tax are additional.
Child care: Reported Los Angeles County median infant-care prices for 2024 were $1,209 monthly in a family child-care home and $1,818 in a center. These are historical benchmarks; current quotes may differ.
Transportation: MIT estimates $10,046 annually, approximately $837 monthly, for transportation for a one-adult, one-child household in Los Angeles County. This is a modeled household budget, not an average transit fare or the additional cost caused by having a baby.
For someone relying on public transportation, Metro has an $18 seven-day fare cap, equivalent to roughly $78 monthly when annualized. Children under six ride free with a fare-paying adult. Other transit services, rideshare trips, and transportation needs can add costs.
Four Expenses Can Exceed $4,900 a Month
Using the two-bedroom rent benchmark, the sample Pampers budget, the infant-care range, and MIT’s transportation estimate produces an illustrative total of approximately $4,938–$5,583 per month.
That is a partial household budget. It does not include groceries, utilities, wipes, feeding supplies, clothing, health care, phone service, or unexpected expenses.
It also should not be described as the additional monthly cost of having a child: rent and transportation include expenses the adult may already have. The point is to show the household bills that still need to be paid when expected support is missing.
A Promise of Help Needs Practical Details
“I’ll help you” can mean paying a dependable share of expenses, occasionally buying supplies, or providing care when convenient. Those offers have very different effects on a household.
Before relying on promised support, a woman may want to ask:
- How much money would be available each month, and when?
- Who would provide child care while she works?
- Who would stay home when the child is sick?
- How would appointments and transportation be handled?
- What would happen if the relationship ended or someone lost income?
Clear answers can help her understand what she can depend on and where uncertainty remains.
Financial Concerns Deserve Attention
A woman may already be raising children and know how another child would affect her household. She may be managing unstable housing, working toward financial security, or trying to finish school.
She may also want children while recognizing that parenting now would bring responsibilities she feels unable to manage.
These concerns deserve consideration. National child-support debt cannot predict an individual parent’s behavior, and a sample budget cannot decide whether a woman should continue a pregnancy or have an abortion. Both can help make the conversation more realistic.
Support for Your Next Step
At L.A. Loss & Abortion Doula, we support women navigating abortion and pregnancy loss with care and understanding.
Contact L.A. Loss & Abortion Doula
Figures reflect the reporting dates and assumptions identified above. Actual expenses vary by household, provider, available assistance, and location.
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