FAMILY MATTERS: Understanding Child Support
By Jake Hornstein, Our Children Have Rights (OCHR)
For parents splitting up, it’s important to understand child support payments, usually decided during the divorce process. This is an ongoing payment by a co-parent to assist with the financial support of their child(ren) and it applies both to married and unmarried co-parents with a minor child. The only requirement for requesting child support is the establishment of paternity or maternity.
Child support is grounded in the thought that both parents are legally and financially responsible for the child. It provides financial support to a child when both married parents are divorced or unmarried parents are no longer together.
When child support is paid regularly, children and custodial parents are less likely to rely on public benefits like welfare, food assistance and Medicaid. This decreases public spending on these programs and helps increase a family’s self-sufficiency. Fathers who pay child support are more likely to be more involved in the lives of their children. Child support ensures the child continues to be provided with an acceptable standard of living and is meant to cover expenses including food, clothing, childcare, education, toys, housing, utilities, and even activities (ex: summer camp).
If a parent has trouble paying child support, they should seek help from a reputable resource, such as OCHR. Part of our program is to help a qualified parent find the right Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program (NCPEP). These programs help ensure the financial well-being of the child and maintain a healthy co-parenting relationship (a fundamental part of our mission).
At OCHR, we’re proud to partner with Cornerstone Connections and Gulf Coast JFCS. Cornerstone Connections serves parents in five counties throughout Central Florida. Gulf Coast JFCS serves parents in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco-Hernando & Miami-Dade. Both programs assist unemployed or under employed non-custodial parents with skills and tools needed to establish a pattern of regular child-support payments. This includes career search, job retention, interview training/resume writing, guidance on child support issues, and more.
Helping parents access these programs provides a greater benefit to our society by keeping individuals with barriers to employment out of the criminal justice system, saving our state money. Above all, it further ensures a child’s access to both accountable parents. Our Children Have Rights is here to help. We are a Pinellas-based nonprofit that helps parents more seamlessly navigate their child custody and co-parenting journeys, at no cost to the family. We were recently recognized with the AMPLIFY Clearwater “Community Spirit Award.” Support of our mission is vital, and we kindly ask our community to consider a financial contribution to our mission.
Most importantly, if you, or someone you know, needs our assistance, we’re here for you. We’re on a mission to protect the rights of children to have access to both responsible parents by providing education, resources, and support services for successful co-parenting. Why? Because Our Children Have Rights. Email Jake at JakeHornstein@OurChildrenHaveRights.com or visit www.OCHR.org.