Child Support; Best Interest for who? Child, Parent or State
From a meeting with Utah State Senator Greg Bell. Child support is often thought of money spent in the child’s best interest. However, the unspoken truth is that child support is unaccounted funds given to the custodial parent and further used in a competition for federal bonus funds.
In the first half of the video, concerned citizen, Tony Curtis, questions whose interest is served by child support. Senator Bells attests that millions of dollars are tied to child support – the interest of the state. In the second half of the video a grown child of divorce testifies as to the need for more accountability.
One of the most discussed issues at the meeting was 50/50 equal parenting legislation. Senator Bell explained to attendees the difficulties with jumping immediately to a 50/50 parenting presumption from the legislative and practical points of view and was open to looking further into 50/50 equal parenting based on research and studies.
Transcript:
Audience member: The best interests of the child is what I want to talk about. When we discuss this issue of 50/50 custody what often comes up is the economic situation for mothers. That’s not talking about the best interests of the child then. You’ve switched from the best interests of the child now to the best interests of one parent. And what I would like to say about this is we really need to separate those two issues, because if it’s truly in the best interests of the child having involvement from both parents, then why are we messing with that because we’re concerned about economics for one parent?
Senator Bell: Well, you make a great point and if you and I were designing a new world that’s where we would start. But we’re not. We’re stuck with a system and I’m just saying that there’s no way you’re going to lop off hundreds of millions of child support overnight or for even a three year ammortization. You know what I’m saying. It’s a huge economic and social shift and you know whether you and I and all the angels agree or not we’re not going to get the governor and 103 other people you know to move there overnight so ah you’re right. The interests of the child is not necesarily found with the child support cause the child support may or may not go to the best interest of the children.
Another audience member: Senator Bell, I am one of those children. My parents divorced in Montana. And my dad currently lives here in Utah. It was a very unfair situation and I’d like to see something on the legislature that puts parents in responsibility to that child support. I’d like to see a program like Horizontee cards for welfare that maybe we keep track of that child support so that we know it’s going for the children cause it’s not parental support, it’s child support. And my mom took the child support and didn’t use it to support me. My mom never gave me a college fund. She never made sure I had the tools to be a successful adult. I escaped from my mother from a very abusive situation at the age of 17. My dad had to continue paying child support till I was 19. And I didn’t live with my mom and I had no support from her. I would like to see something on the legislature that changes to where we do keep track of child support. My dad is currently 0,000… of what it goes towards, of what it’s spent on. Because the price of raising a child is not dependent on a percentage of a wage, it is a price, but shouldn’t we keep track of where that money goes so it’s not used for mommy when the children are gone, for her and the new husband to go away to Hawaii. That’s not a very useful use of that child support… and there’s parents trading there child support for drugs and all sorts of ridiculous things.
Just how much money is this hundreds of millions in child support?? According to the website of the Utah Office of Recovery Services, over 5.9 million was collected in fiscal year 2006. Of this amount over .4 million was distributed to the Utah Department of Health (as apposed to being distributed to recipient parents), and at least .3 million made it directly into the state’s general fund (as apposed to being distributed to recipient parents).
The govt. up here in Canada is every bit as pathetic as down there in US,and the cops are sick individuals who won”t enforce the laws,many fathers in jail as they had enough of some bitches crap!!And many who done nothing other than drank to forget their situation[what do you think caused that???]Suicide is 11 times more prevalent by males than females,I had 2 friends go that way after years of not being involved with their children,someone should get rid of a few people responsible!!!
Too many parasites make good living from the disgrace of others. The CSA should be exterminated by international law.
The CSA is the weapon for ugly women who hate men and is destroying the basic principles of western society and the white race.
thank you.
I hope your in-laws understand the unfairness of the situation and don’t encourage the tail (kids) to wag the dog. My grandmother from Austria would have let those kids know the financial facts of life. My immigrant grandparents would have told those kids “nothing in the will for you”, you are robbing your father, be ashamed. Well my in- laws realized their mistake and it’s going to cost the grand daughter big $. Money talks. You’ll survive, I did. Good Luck, Prayers, be strong.
So instead of changed for the best the government openly admits sinking in more $hit is by far easier on them (the government).
Example mother = pregnancy =1 child with a man
mother = pregnancy = 1 child a different man
mother = pregnancy = 1 child yet another man.
mother = child support + child support + child support tax free.
First man pays child support has another wife and child the child isn’t counted,second man again his child not counted the third guy yet again his new child isn’t counted.Best interest for whom?
IM A SINGLE BLACK MALE PARENT, & I personally dont want child support. I just want my sons mom to visit her son.
Im also have a daughter whom I pay child support for. But dont get any VISITATION HELP from LEGAL AID, OR THE COURTS…..
IT’S NOT RIGHT !
IM ONLY GOOD IN BEING A ” JHON ” to them CHILD SUPPORT PROSTITUTES..
WITH NO ” VISITATION “!!!!!!!!!
BAN CHILD SUPPORT !
Even though I dont live in Utah, from what I can understand in this video, its sounds very interesting. to bad the video for most of it is poor. At least for me. I have my children 5 days a week in the summer, and more recently she has moved it back to only 2 days during school years. she did that on her own, no change in custody agreement, but she knows I can not afford an attorney. Legal help seems to be free for females, not men. I agree, accountably with support pay is vital and fair
i know the % is to give the so called wealth the child would have hadif the parent was there but it dosnt take in consideration cost of living going up,higher taxes,fuel costs, nor does it take in concidration that partner raising another family also i think its stupid where by if the parent is rich has to pay like millions,my dad was rich and had businesses he wouldnt of brought me a car even if he wanted to cos what does that teach a child? i just had a basic upbringing was his wealth not mine
id say it benifits the parent i pay approx £680 p/m thats about $1,300 and ontop of that have to buy clothes,school wear and still enjoy giving presents she did exactly the same to some other poor guy so the amount is doubled if not more,she has big house 2 cars and toy boys also jobless we both live in bed sits working our ass off to fund her life style also cant afford a relationship,i think its right to pay but not % it should be a fixed equal fair rate that applys to all weekend parents
Thanks to child support, my mother could drink two cases of beer a week while smoking 10 packs a day. That’s pretty much what it did for us. That and her $500 a month electric bill for growing pot.
I agree,but they don’t under stand how much their being conned by the goverment,but they will find that out soon.
I have a better idea,end child support & I say this only for one reason,because its another way. For the goverment to intrude in our lives & tell us how to live,women understand you’ve been conned.
A famous wrestler died along with his wife and son in the cause of this madness if im not mistaken? He also had two other children from a previous marriage.
RG,She can do it because she’s a woman.If you did it they’ll track you down and put you in jail.She’s probably out screwing more guys so she can get another child and recieve two paychecks.The states encourages this type of behavior from women by giving them money.Keep taking care of your child and being responsible.
I’ve been raising my child for 2 of the 3 yrs of her life.I’m a guy btw.Yet my ex still collects support? How is that fair? My ex rarely sees her daughter and never calls or get her a thing.Missouri told me i’m a glorified baby sitter and my ex can do this.WTF?
I have my daughter for at least 10 days a month and for 3 months every summer and her mother collects a check. And after the summer I still have to buy school clothes and supplies or my daughter will go without. On top of it all my daughter’s mother has a combined work history of less than one year at age 30. Child support has become an extention of welfare.
This video just proves that it’s not about the children like they claim.It’s about the tax-free federal money the states reiceives for collecting child support.They care nothing for the children.
My husband has to pay $544 a month for two children from his previous marriage, which is rediculously high considering he’s not making the big bucks working a construction job. Having a child of our own we know it doesn’t cost $270 each and every month to raise a child. And we also know that his ex-wife spends hardly any money on the kids, so unless the laws change it should be called ex-spousal support.
Why does the childsupport go to the mother even during the period of time the father is watching over the child. I thought it was child support not mother support. How pathetic.
I don’t know where your going with that, accidents happen, and as unfair as the child support system is its hurting men NCP’s all over the world, and this country especially. If you can’t complain about being extroted, maybe nobody has the right to complain about anything. Be more specific please!! (Fuzzehbunneh) Some women do this to men just to extort Child support money from them. It happens, Think!!!
If a couple have a child and can’t afford it without financial support in the first place they should seriously rethink it before complaining about child support issues.
With false accusations from an immigrant residency seeker and the help of VAWA laws, a stable American citizen can be reduced to living in poverty. Your illegal immigrant spouse becomes legal and you become illegal. The court system will abuse you and strip you of your rights while social programs that promote immigration fraud thrive.
Child support is ruining my life.
To clarify how CHILD SUPPORT WORKS IN AMERICA…plz. review my comments made in the following youtube titles…THANK YOU: (1) Who’s Your Real Daddy? How To Get Screwed By Child Support; (2) Back Child Support June 27, 2007 Pt 1 …am still looking for altneratives other than CHILD SUPPORT.