I have written many letters to the Governor, my Legislator, and James
Gilchrist with no response, or action taken in this matter.
I, along with other custodial parents that reside in Montgomery County
Maryland, have a huge problem with the child support laws, and
guidelines. It is not that we don't appreciate the agencies, but we
would really like the agencies to communicate with each other, and the
non-custodial parents in an attempt to collect the child support owed
to the custodial parent. Every month that child support goes unpaid is
another month a single family household must struggle to make ends
close, and another month where the children's financial needs are not
fully met.
Montgomery County Maryland does not consider failure to pay child
support a criminal offense, and have reduced our children's needs, and
standards of living to a civil matter. It is not fair to the children,
the custodial parents, or the state agencies that help support the
child when the non-custodial parent decides they will not support the
children they helped to create. According to my case worker, Jazaan
Abdula, in the Montgomery County Child Support Agency, there is no
reason to put the non-custodial parent in jail, and this woman even
tried to persuade me to close my case and forget about it. This is not
professional behavior from the agency that is supposed to be helping
in collecting this debt from the non-custodial parent.
In Montgomery County Maryland the child support owed to custodial
parents is astounding. Did you know that if you have a child support
obligation of $500.00 a month, you can satisfy the Child Support
Enforcement Agency with a payment of $0.13-not $13.00. Although there
can be criminal action taken against the non-custodial parent, it
rarely is, and some non-custodial parents go for years without
supporting their children, while accumulating a large child support
debt.
The amount of unpaid child support in Maryland in 1989 was 4 billion
dollars; by 1999 the amount climbed up to 13 billion dollars. That is
almost a billion dollars a year, and the amount keeps rising with no
end in sight. Non-custodial parents continue to evade the
responsibility to the children, and that which was set fourth by a
court of law, because they know there is little to no consequence. It
makes us all wonder if there is any justice for our children, or if
anybody, besides the custodial parent, is working on their behalf.
All we want is a just system that works in the best interest of our
children. There is no reason the non-custodial should fall into
arrears of $10,000.00, and there is no reason they should not be sent
to jail for child neglect. The non-custodial parent avoids child
support, (mine just quits his job when he is located) and since there
is no fear of prosecution, they continue to avoid paying their court
ordered child support. Per Jazaan Abdula, my case worker, Montgomery
County does not comply with the Federal CSEA.
The non-custodial parent in my case owes $20,907.57 so far. This had
gone on for almost 5 years. The non-custodial parent has never been to
jail for contempt, or failure to comply with a court order. There has
been no action taken against the non-custodial parent, and has never
been arrested for failure to comply with the court order.
It is because of the inactions of the Child Support Enforcement
Agency, I felt the need to draft this petition. You signature, and
comments in this matter are important. Our legislator's are going to
see them, and they need to know how we feel, so please go to the
petition site, and let your opinion be known.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/lets-give-our-children-some-hope-and-a-better-standard-of-living



Before the deadbeat parents start crying, whining, and claiming only
women make children (as so many non-custodial fathers claim), and only
women are entitled to child support let me stop you now, because
that's not what this is about.

The petition is for ALL custodial parents (yes it includes the men as
well as the women) who have a hard time getting their court orders for
child support enforced.

Archived from group: alt>support>single-parents