Thursday, July 17, 2008

Child Support Debt Just A Symptom

The child support system is inherently unfair because payments are based not on what it costs to raise a child but what the liable parent earns.

"But the child support debt problem is only a spin-off from the DPB system, " welfare commenter Lindsay Mitchell said today. "If there was no DPB, which acts as an incentive to become a single parent, there would be nowhere near the current number of liable parents - 157,858 - many owing millions of dollars in debt."

"Presently the state effectively replaces the father but then expects him to pay the bills. That is unworkable. Hence the growing mess this area has become."

"As a general rule fathers should support their children. But they need to know that the child is biologically theirs (not currently possible if the mother resists) and, most importantly, the state has to stop putting up cash rewards to the prospective single mother."

"Yes, before the DPB, chasing child support through the court system was not always a successful process and fathers ran the risk of jail for non-support. But these are different times. Avoiding becoming pregnant and giving birth is straight forward. And in respect of relationship breakdowns, women are much better equipped to handle being a breadwinner and men are much better equipped for sharing parenting."

"Ultimately people have to work out their own problems. That's life. It's part of the process. If we won't accept that then we will continue on down this all-too-familiar road whereby the state tries to sort every personal problem and leaves far bigger ones behind in its wake."

ENDS

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