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Protesting the Illinois-McHenry County “Deadbeat Parents”

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By Jeffery M. Leving

McHenry County Sheriff Nygren’s decision to publicly humiliate deadbeat parents,


who according to the courts owe between $5,346 and $41,192 in child support
payments, is alarming. It seems odd that only fathers are posted when non-custodial
mothers are 20% more likely to default on their child support obligations according
to US Census Data.

The deadbeat dad stereotype is a distortion and it perpetuates the many myths
surrounding child support. The vast majority of men who fail to pay their child
support do so because of unemployment or poverty. Fathers who have in the past
paid child support promptly are now faced with a chilling question: “Do I pay child
support, or do I eat?” Since Illinois law requires parents to pay between 20 to 50
percent of their income, how much is left to survive after a $650 unemployment
check?

It’s no surprise that “deadbeat dads” have been the headliner of multiple stories
across the country for decades. We’re often reminded by the media’s highlights of
the few fathers who don’t pay versus the many who struggle to support their
children. These stereotypes shouldn’t be highlighted or ignored, they should be
eliminated.

The facts show that fathers in financial peril are far from “deadbeat”. In fact, the
Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement data shows that two-thirds of those
behind on child support nationwide earn poverty level wages; less than four percent
of the national child support debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year.
According to the largest federally-funded study of divorced dads ever conducted,
unemployment, not willful neglect, is the largest cause of failure to pay child support.
As Illinois surpasses the 10.5 percent unemployment rate, these facts cannot be
ignored.

While the label of “deadbeat parents” does apply to some parents who willfully dodge
their responsibility of child support, it is not gender specific. The larger problem lies
not with non-custodial parents, but instead with the child support system. Arresting
low-income parents or parading their names and faces in highly publicized media
blitzes is neither fair nor useful. What’s needed instead is an overhaul of the system,
so that unemployed and underemployed workers aren’t turned into criminals because
they’ve failed to pay obligations which are beyond their reach. Especially now, the
system should work to help fathers support their children so they still have the
means to support themselves. We must eliminate the need of focusing on “deadbeat”
and help “dead-broke” parents and fathers in caring for what they love most – their
children.
To learn more about this issue, visit the Fatherhood Educational Institute website
(www.fatherhood-edu.org) or contact Jennifer Whiteside at 312-296-3666.

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