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NO LATE FEES are charged on unpaid child support.
NO LUMP SUM or large percent payment is required on back support/arrearages.
INTEREST on unpaid amounts is applied by only half the states.
Credit card companies and utilities charge you penalties when you don't pay your bill...
...why is not supporting a child handled differently?
We taxpayers pay that parent's bill in many many ways, including direct costs for Courts, free/reduced school lunch and state medical programs.
"In 2000, 53% of child support cases had arrearages owed. In 2004, the proportion was up to 68%.
… we don't seem to be making a dent in the problem, and the overall debt continues to grow."
Sherri Z. Heller, Ed.D,
Commissioner, Federal Office of
Child Support Enforcement
Senior officials of the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) acknowledge that very little data exists on why child support payments are not made, and also acknowledge that even this small body of data is not publicized.
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All data sources agree: at least 6.6 million parents are paying little or no child support but have "more than adequate financial ability" to do so.
“Unpaid child support is not just a plight of the urban poor.”
Mike Mayo, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
And we are paying these nonpaying parents' bills!
DIRECT COSTS to taxpayers include:
- subsidized day care and free/reduced school lunches
- state-run medical/dental insurance programs
- Court system costs -- over 60% of cases in most Courts are domestic relations;
- impeded support enforcement and Court systems -- preventing quick relief needed by "dead-broke" parents who are truly unable to, but trying to pay.
MYTH:
Owing child support is against the law.
REALITY: Only in 1998 did it become a felony to owe more than $5,000 in child support.
MYTH:
Those who don't pay lose their Drivers License or go to jail.
REALITY:
It commonly takes 1-3 years before State enforcement agencies can make those consequences happen.
MYTH:
Support Enforcement is improving.
REALITY:
Current 2007 Support uncollected by Support Enforcement: over $12 Billion.
MYTH:
Support Enforcement primarily collects money for welfare families.
REALITY:
40% of Support Enforcement cases have consistently been families earning too much to get assistance.
To Sponsor a Family and help us state loudly: "It's time for change!"  Click here!
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