Child support system
I propose the following 9 policy proposals, about the Child Support System, to be merged:
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
Explanation & Justification
The Child Support system is in disrepair. These 9 submissions all offer suggestions of multiple different levels and angles for the same program. The merge will offer one place to discuss all ideas for total reform to the Child Support system in its entirety rather than individual points making each vote count more.
Abolish fraudulent child support
Child support however sometimes needed when a parent walks away from a child can also be unneeded when both parents care for and want to spend as much time as possible with their children. There also comes tax time, and who claims the children. How is it fair that someone who pays support for say 3 children all year then turns around and pays in and the other parent isnt paying taxes on that money isn’t claiming it and also gets to claim the children and benefits that come with that? Not to mention that in our economy paying more than half your pay weekly leaves a single person living in poverty conditions… the child support system is in need of serious revamping.
You can merge them with mine as well. It is a bit more detailed in the specifics of what to reform and steps that should be taken: Equitable Child Support Reform Act
The income for the custodial parent should be considered as well. 50/50. If the custodial parent doesn’t work then why does the other have to supoort them too?
Child support should be tracked/limited on how it is spent. It shouldn’t be for housing since you would need to pay for that anyway. It should go to food. Clothes. Activities. Medical. Actual needs. My money shouldn’t be giving my ex a better standard of living or a better car than me. Logically that makes no sense. It should also be based on the money that is made. Not the potential money that could be made. If it was based on potentials then the recipient should get less money because they have the potential to earn too. Even if they choose not to work. If you have no means to support yourself you should not be the custodial parent.
Father to 1
Step father to 1
I pay $902 alone in child support for 1 child
I make 23 an hour
Rent is 1400
Alright there’s the basics tell me how in the hell it takes 902 a month to take care of a going on 6 yr old child.
I’m literally starving some weeks just to pay that. Child support laws need to change!
The concept of paying support has never bothered me at its core. I want to ensure my son is orovided for and taken care of. However, when you pay close to 400 a month for support while having your child 50% of the time and pay fully for their daycare built into that total. All while the nother takes trips out of state with the funds, it absolutely causes resentment between to parents. The things i could use that money on for my son instead of funding her to travel or take mini vacations on a biannual basis is enough to make a parent seethe. We need to treat support like we treat EBT at the very least. If the money can only be used for kids supplies, theres no way for resentment to form. The money is being used for the child in either home. Not on the other parents personal wants.
Federal child support system needs to end and like abortion be left up to states. Also any state alloying abortions should not have child support. There seems to be a double standard women can avoid responsibilities by having abortions or give up a child but men must pay child support and be jailed if you dont. Women can kill a child freely, but men thrown in jail for not paying dollars…thats ridiculous. Even if a women give a child up to the state, why dont they have to pay the state child support? Our system is not fair or just. I barely make enough to live paying support and my kids ask why cant i see them more. Money is why. It costs me gas, hotel stays. There also should not be child support under joint shared custody. Its not 50/50 when you charge a man so much support i cant see my kids. Guess who gets more time with the kids, the new boyfriend. Its not right. Thats the states basucally alienating fathers from there kids lives through finances.
your words are gold
I was there. Years ago. Find a way to do side work off the books. Help friends do things. Trade labor for stuff. Hang in there man. It will get better. I’ve been doing it for 15 years. I got 1.5more to my sentence.(2kids) You will be better off and she won’t have a dime of yours after that. Then you can sit back knowing you did what you had to do, however unjust it was. And you will have the skill of knowing how to live poor and once all your money is yours again it’s like a massive raise. Again… hang in there.
someone I know pays $7,000+ in child support. Lost his job. Judge refused to change order saying he has “all the ability in the world to find another job”. But he cannot find any job that makes that much. Meanwhile mom claims that she has to apply for food stamps to survive and the kids are food insecure because despite living rent-free $7,000/month somehow is not enough… Kids of course are dressed in rags and mom tells them she has no money for their activities or supplies. This may be an extreme case but it’s not unique at all. Remember when Kevin Costner’s ex went to court saying that $150K/month was not enough? Nothing is ever enough! The system is messed up and needs to be abolished. The government can easily step in to ensure that all kids have food and basic shelter.
I think that social media is full of stories from moms because they are the ones who don’t work and have time to complain about not getting enough. It’s time for dads to share their story.
People ignore the suicide rates of divorced men. Its VERY high. Because fathers are financially alienated out of childrens lives. Our country I still feel is beyond saving. My ex committed adulty and divorced me. Nothing was done to her. The state comes after me for child support. No fault divorce needs to end too. You have no rights because with the federal child support system every state participates and get federal dollars for enforcement. So when you go to court, you have no rights because a judge, who is supposed to be impartial, has it in the states best interest to either force you to pay or jail you. Thats not how courts supposed to work. Judges are to be a impartial neutral 3rd party.
I worked with a guy when I was younger in my 20s. He was charged over 900 in child support. Couldnt pay his rent. Temporarily moved in at basement of a church. He knew the pastor. He did not come in one day for work. He committed suicide. His children will probably never know how much he missed and loved them. He saw no hope. That was way back in the 90s. Thousands of stories like that.