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About $100 billion dollars in court-ordered child support goes unpaid each year in the United States. It’s a huge problem, and the federal and state governments are heavily invested in efforts to make “deadbeat” parents pay the child support they’re supposed to. In addition to the lack of support of so many children, parents who fail to pay court ordered support cost the federal and state governments $1 for every $4.50 collected.
If you and your child(ren) are owed child support, check first for the support-enforcement programs in the state where you live.
On the other hand, if you are the parent who owes child support but cannot pay it due to illness or job loss, go to the family court where you received the child support court order and ask to get the support reduced or modified. Your obligation to support your children will not go away.
The Passport Denial Program
A new federal plan designed to enforce child support is the Passport Denial Program, which helps states collect money from delinquent parents. If a parent owes more than $2,500 in back child support payments, the Department of State will deny that parent’s request for a passport.
Due to this program, hundreds of thousands of deadbeat parents have been located and reported to the Department of State, and their states of residence will follow up regarding the child support owed.
Expanded to More Countries
The program was further advanced by a new rule requiring air travelers to and from Mexico, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean to have passports. This significantly increased the number of deadbeat parents identified.
The Passport Denial Program has been responsible for the collection of over $25 million in child support, a good start but still just a fraction of the $100 billion that is outstanding.
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