In Texas and elsewhere, a non-custodial parent’s failure to pay child support may lead to serious ramifications. These payments are necessary for the well-being and economic livelihood of the child, and so the state government may choose to press criminal charges against those who fail to pay their required child support payments. Likewise, custodial parents may also pursue non-paying, non-custodial parents, and they have a variety of means to do so at their disposal.
Reportedly, the federal government has created a program to help custodial parents and state authorities with tracking down those parents who fail to pay child support. The program, called “Project Save Our Children,” was initiated by the Department of Health and Human Services to target those parents with back-due payments of more than $5,000. One of the program’s highlights is the creation of a website that will list the names of these parents.
Authorities claim that the government program has already been met with some success. They also claim that they have apprehended parents who owe more than $100,000, and have forced them to pay up. That may cause some parents to think twice before skipping out on their financial obligations.
Child support enforcement, though, is a tricky matter in Texas and across the nation. Often times, the non-paying parent is simply unable to pay rather than unwilling to pay. Nevertheless, non-custodial parents facing economic hardship should seek to modify the required payments rather than outright failing to make them. By not honoring the obligation, these parents put the livelihood of their children in jeopardy.
Source: KXAN, “Fed steps up crackdown on child support,” Jan. 31, 2012