There are more problems with the child support system in America than there is dust in the wind. How did this system get so messed up? Is it because of greed or is it because everyone was afraid to do the right thing all those years ago when the system was started. It seems that the fix is at hand if the politicians would look and listen to that which is front of them.
I am not in any way advocating that anyone is above supporting their children. Doing what is right for the child should never be a question. Doing what is right for the child by discriminating against a group of individuals is not the correct response to the problem. Though be it the response that has been advocated for so long. It is time to rethink the issue and revamp the policies.
It appears that the father of the child is on the losing end of the stick, so to speak. More often than not the mother is awarded custody of the child regardless of her ability to support the child. I am not saying that a mother does not need to be considered for custody; but, it appears that there should be more to consider.
If a mother requires an enormous amount of support to raise her children and if the father has the ability to pay said amount then why is the father not awarded custody? Most states require a percentage of the non-custodial parent's income for child support based on the number of children. As I said it is good to support your children and really no one should have to enforce this. The thing is if the father is unknown the state normally will not provide as much money to the mother as would be awarded in child support from the father. The state's normally think the mother should seek employment and provide for her children.
If this is the feeling of the state and the taxpayer then why should the same not hold true for non-custodial child support? It is possible for a woman to get a divorce and to earn as much from child support as she would earn on a job. When this happens where is the incentive for her to further her education or seek gainful employment? It is done away with. She has no reason to do anything than to laugh all the way to the bank. It doesn't end there. If she remarries she still gets to receive the child support from her ex-husband. But what if the ex-husband remarries?
If he remarries and his wife works and makes some decent money his child support can increase. Not because his new wife's money is counted for support but because she will be able to pay his bills freeing his money to pay more child support. This in effect increases the custodial parent's income from her children.
What does the money go for? Well, most people think it goes for the children. Does it? Maybe it goes for the house payment and utilities and the car payment. While it is true these are all essentials to the children as well as the mother. I think these are not something this money should be spent on. Is it not true that the mother would have to pay these expenses regardless of whether she had children or not? Everyone I know has to pay these expenses whether they be single, married, childless or with children.
To make the child support system fair for all would only require minor changes in the way things are currently done. We could start by giving custody of the child to the parent who is mentally, physically, and financially capable of providing for the child. This is not to say that one parent or the other could not receive custody at a later date but that would be something the courts could decide. Any money paid for child support, regardless of the paying parent, should be placed in an account for the child. This money should not be used for incidental expenses that are common to all households. This money should only be used for medical bills, clothing, education and other things which are item specific for the child.
The child support money should not be at an expense large enough to require the non-custodial parent to have to live a life where they have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet. And if the custodial parent needs to receive a helping hand from the state then if one of the parents are not working they should be required to volunteer their time to the state to reimburse for said aid.
Child support was designed to help the children of divorced or unwed mothers. These children have been dropped out of this equation except to determine the number of children and their age. We need to put a system into place that provides for the children without discriminating against either of the parents.
Politicians need to get it in gear and rather than worry about votes or more free aid programs fix the systems that are in place. Repair of the child support system should be a topic in every branch of government from the local to federal government.
