Current data suggests as many as six out of 10 parents who are ordered by the court to receive child support to provide for their children’s needs are not receiving full payments, as scheduled. Many California parents get a portion of an ordered amount, and some report that they get nothing at all. A research organization that is conducting behavioral science studies has come up with a plan that it believes may not only prompt many parents to bring their child support accounts into good standing but may also help improve their relationships with their children.
Officials in another state who have been participating in the project find that, by changing the way they communicate with parents ordered to pay child support, they are witnessing positive results. For instance, they try to treat paying parents as customers rather than people who owe a debt. They also send reminders regarding upcoming scheduled meetings. One parent remarked that it was refreshing to be spoken to like a human being.
The director of the Division of Child Support Services in that state said they are doing their best to create an atmosphere of service to clients rather than one of enforcement. Approximately 15 million children throughout the nation are affected by child support orders. It seems to be about one quarter of all cases that have unpaid totals; these cases are often the ones where payments are not garnished from the paying parent’s wages.
Perhaps California and other states will implement incentive programs similar to the one described earlier in this post. Parents who are currently facing child support problems are better off relying on experienced legal support to rectify their situations rather than trying to handle things alone. If a parent is not adhering to an existing court order, there is a definite legal process that can help resolve the problem.