Teaching Georgia Parents Through a Child Support Program
Posted on Nov 7, 2013 12:00am PST
All parents in Georgia have a special responsibility for their children,
whether it is day-to-day emotional support and physical care or monthly
financial support. In the case of noncustodial parents, the child support
they must pay covers a range of child-care expenses, including school
and health-care costs. Some parents, though, never pay any support or
do so intermittently. Recently, this has been exaggerated by a poor economy
and high unemployment rates.
Usually, a parent who fails to pay child support faces wage garnishment,
license suspension and even jail time. In Georgia, however, experts noted
that punishments such as these rarely solve the problem of delinquent
or nonsupportive parents. Because of this, a child-support service was
created near Georgia to help parents understand their obligations and
how they can meet them.
The Child Support Services Problem Solving Court aims to help parents become
better providers for their children. It works to teach parents to be more
responsible by furthering their education and eventually finding and holding
good-paying jobs.
Recently, the court in Coweta held a graduation ceremony for 14 participants.
As the participants received their certificates, the organizers of the
child-support program expressed pride in helping parents rebuild their
lives and families. Similar courts in 17 more areas in Georgia are now
being planned.
Helping supporting parents to understand that becoming a good provider
for their children is possible should go a long way to preventing cases
of unpaid support. Unpaid child support negatively affects both children
and society.
If supporting parents face economic challenges from events such as job
loss or illness, they have a good chance of being able to have their support
modified to ensure that they can pay but without putting themselves in
financial jeopardy.