Through their enforcement efforts, federal, provincial and
territorial governments disburse about $2 billion annually to
Canadian families to satisfy outstanding support debts. At the
federal level, it is estimated that approximately $185 million in
support payments was garnisheed in 2017 and 2018 under the
Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance
Act (FOAEAA).
In addition to federal enforcement efforts, every province and
territory in Canada has established an enforcement service,
referred to as a Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP), which has
legislative authority to register, collect and enforce family
support orders or agreements for the benefit of family support
recipients, whether they are former spouses or children.
