It's hard enough trying to make ends meet in this economy as it is. So imagine being a single parent, trying to provide for your children when your ex owes you thousands of dollars in back child support. That's a reality for many single mothers in our viewing area, and in tonight's Troubleshooters report, we're taking a closer look at what it's like for them.
Kristine Gaston is owed about $13,000 in back child support from the fathers of two of her children. She's been waiting on the money for years. So long, in fact, that her children are now grown. Adding to the hardship, her 20-year-old daughter had a child of her own when she was 15, and the two of them now live with Gaston, too. Paying the bills without the money she's owed is not easy.
"Me and my husband now, we work two jobs a piece just to make ends meet," Gaston said.
Gaston said her exes have skirted the system to avoid having to pay her. That's a common complaint from mothers who call our newsroom fed up with a child support enforcement system that they say simply doesn't work.
The state of North Carolina handled more than 426,000 child support cases last year and collected about $700 million in child support payments. But when you break that down, it's only about $1,600 per case. That's not a lot of money when you consider what it costs to raise a child.
Child support enforcement officials say it can be an uphill battle to collect payments.
"It just depends on the absent parent's situation: whether he's unemployed, decreased in work hours," Judy McArn of Child Support Enforcement said. "There are those who work just daily jobs and get paid cash under the table."
One of Gaston's exes is on disability and only has to pay $32 a month toward the thousands he owes. She says at this rate, she'll be dead before she gets paid back.
So what advice does she have for people who have yet to have kids to avoid the same fate?
"Make sure they're married," Gaston said. "Only thing I can tell you. Make sure they're married., 'cause it's hard when you're a single mom."
Besides garnishing wages, unemployment and disability checks, the state can also garnish your tax refund to collect money that's owed in back child support. You can also be put in jail or have your driver license revoked for failure to pay, but moms we talk to say those penalties are not enforced as often as they should be.
The Goose and Gander
If the state pays for lawyers for moms (child enforcement attorneys) they should also pay for fathers attorneys.
This is the problem that fathers run into. Sometimes they get laid off, get sick, get into an accident. They can't afford an attorney, but the state supplies the moms with one for free.
Men should take care of responsibilities, but at the same time, men shouldn't fall for "visitation rights". There are none, unless you can afford an attorney every time the ex says no.
If men are carted off to jail, women who violate divorce agreements and "scheduled visitations" should be right behind them.
Everyone should live up to their agreements.
Franklin County
I have a different situation. My husband and I are separated and our two daughters are living with me. The court has ordered him to pay child support. He has no issue with this, he agrees that he should. The problem is that CSE is deducting from his paycheck each week- but they take their slow sweet time disbursing the money. Each time I call the 800# or my case worker, I get the same lame responses... "Maybe he didn't work last week", or "the employer has two weeks to file." It is all a bunch of B.S. I never know from week to week WHEN or IF we will see any money. Half the time I try to check online and the website is down so I can't check payment status. Is it a requirement to be a complete moron to get a job with NC CSE?
vance county
Vance county is the lamest child support agency in north Carolina. Some of the agents have these attitudes like its not their jobs to help you. But I truly believe they need to create a law just as they have a DRUG TASK FORCE then they need to have a CHILD SUPPORT TASK FORCE TOO!!! THEY FIND THE DRUG DEALERS NOW FIND THE NO GOOD PARENTS!!!!
child support
NC Child support collectors do absolutely nothing to help the custodial parent, my ex wife owes me over $18,000 back child support. I'm lucky if I receive $100 a month of the $584 I'm suppose to receive. Yet her Facebook shows all of her purchases that she makes, from motorcycles, pool tables, cameras, I pads, and houses, and monthly trips. She owns a private business and does nothing to help with financial or medical support. I have provided all sorts of info to NCCS and get the same reply, we will send out a letter and get back with you, but the reply never comes, you never get a response from NCCS until you call to get an update.
I have tried private collectors only to get the same answer, "we do not work with NC residents due to the fact they (NCCS) will not help in any way". Something has to change, I have contacted attorneys for help, the attorneys want between $3,000 and $5,000 retainer, which means I will have to spend about as much as would get back.
Dead beat parents need to go to jail, I understand I can't collect while they are in jail but I'm not collecting now, so why should I watch her live the high life and have no responsibilities.
Child Support LIED and LIED
I have not only had to do the job for the workers but get ready for this I have had my child support stopped on more than 1 occasion by a phone call from the parent that should be paying Lieing to the workers about the children not being in my care (I have had to take the children to the Local office) to prove that they live with me..... Ridicules that they will stop it on their phone call of lies but when i have given them Address, name's SS#, Job,state where they lived and actually found them in jail and told the agency where they were thats when i found out i had been lied to about my case being interstate!! This i have been told dont exist but was told during many meetings to my face thats what my case was...
The NC Child Support agency takes our money and DOSE NOTHING for the children that is on their cases.... I am owed 8000.00 and the parent that owes me makes $42.00 an hour HOW crazy is this........????????????
Child Support Enforcement Agency
When the Child Support Enforcement Agency Attorney gives false medicaid information to be used against you in court to a judge; it's a violation of the very law they studied for years. If they are caughlt, their investigation is internal. Which means that your Constitutional Right to Privacy is is none of your own business. They are all liers, constantly breaking the law to win a case in which they are matched our tax dollars for every dollar they collect. You are a discusting branch of this state and don't give a shit about our kids or their future. Natzis
Child Support
you know, I read a comment about those of us who are due child support are greedy and only tell 1/2 the truth? c'mon, only an idiot would think like that. First of all, child support hearings are held in a court with a judge preciding, therefore it was RULED for them to pay, if they disagree with the decision they are more than welcome to go back to court. I am on both sides of the fence and know exactly how screwed up the system is. I have cs owed to me from one county and I owe in another. the cs owed to me is over $11,800, however,the payment that I have to pay taken out of my check, so I am never behind and I always pay what I am ruled to do. I was behind $34 and do you know they had the law looking for me and come to find out it was THEIR mistake???? How can you come looking for me for $34 and you let him be for $11,000+????? You wasted more than that sending someone to my job and house.... more tax payers $$$ for what???? Every once in awhile he does pay, like for his b-day he sent $12 in for us to get him something... what a joke. And YES he knows where he is and how to get in touch with him and have always been more than welcomed to my house to visit or we could meet somewhere, him or his family. It is their choice not to call or visit in like uhm, 12 years!!!! they only live like 1 hour away, shux, I go shopping in their city, but now, at my childs age, he isnt a bit more interested in meeting him than the man in the moon and who could blame him?
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on TV
Mmmm. Garnished wages. Maybe a little aglio e olio, a spritz of lemon.
Yes, I love me some garnished wages. Looking all pretty on the plate, my compliments to chef. Il complimentore,
OK, I'll stop; you get the point.
Hah. Garnished wages. If we say it enough times it might become inflammable.
Hah. Inflammable.
CHILD SUPPORT WOES
A Deadbeat is a deadbeat male, woman or whatever.I FEEL NC CHILD SUPPORT SYSTEM IS A BIG JOKE,ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN WILMINGTON,NC! YOU HAVE SOME COUNTIES LIKE PENDER AND BRUNSWICK THAT PUT THE WANTED NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT IN THE LOCAL PAPER SHOWING THEIR OWED ARREARS. THEN JUST LIKE TEXT-A TIP THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THESE PARENTS. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY THE PARENT THAT IS PAYING SUPPORT AND DOING FAITHFULLY FOR THEIR KID(S) ARE GIVEN SUCH A HARD TIME FOR THE LEAST TIME THEY MISS A PAYMENT OR SOMETHING...WHILE THE DEADBEAT ARREAR PARENT IS NOT EVEN HARRASSED.I FEEL THE SYSTEM SHOULD SPEND MORE ENERGY AND TIME ON THE DEADBEAT ARREARED PARENT($1,000 OR MORE OWED)THAN THEY DO ON THE ONES THAT ARE TRYING AND DO CARE BUT MIGHT JUST HAVE A HARDSHIP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.I MEAN WOMAN OR MALE ....
I BELIEVE ALOT OF PARENTS FEEL WHEN THE CHILD GET GROWN THEY ARE SCOT-FREE, BUT IN FACT IF THE CUSTODIAL PARENT SIGN PAPER STILL WANTING THEIR CHILD SUPPORT CASE ENFORCED AND SEEK THAT IT STILL IS ENFORCED AND THAT ABSENT PARENT IS NOT OFF THE HOOK.THE CUSTODIAL PARENT DESERVE THAT MONEY NO MATTER HOW OLD THAT CHID GET BECAUSE THE WHOLE TIME THAT ABSENT PARENT WASN'T PAYING NOTHING THAT CUSTODIAL PARENT WAS AND DESERVE SOME RELIEF NO MATTER WHEN.MIGHT HAVE SURVIVE THE 18 YEARS BUT WAS A STRUGGLE TRYING TO HOLD THINGS DOWN WHILE CREDIT COULD OF WENT BAD BEAAUSE COULDNT PAY BILLS BECAUSE OF A CHILD NEED!! THE WORLD DONT LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL NEEDS BEACUSE IF A SINGLE PARENT MAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEY FEEL OVER THE LIMIT FOR ASSISTANT THEY HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET WHEN IN FACT THERE IS ONLY THAT 1 INCOME.THEN THOSE THAT PLAY THE SYSTEM OR LOW INCOME GET ALL THE "GOODIES"AND NOT HAVE TO STRUGGLE AS HARD.....SORRY THIS IS SUBJECT THAT HITS TO CLOSE TO HOME AND JUST MAKE ME MAD HOW THE SYSTEM(LOCAL,NATIONAL,FEDERAL, STATE, ALL IN BETWEEN)WORKS!!!ITS JUST SO OVERWHELMING!THE CHILD SUPPORT AGAENCIES DON'T REALIZE THESE ARREARED PARENTS ARE LAUGHING REAL HARD AT THEM CAUSE THE ARE SO EASY TO GET OVER ON!
I think you're all greedy and you tell half truths..............
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching
You're a lynch mob, did you know that linching is supposed to be illegal? You probably all withhold visitation to. It's all about you. Why not have the non custodial parents put to death or stoned.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A LYNCH MOB. IF IT WAS YOU YOU WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY. I NEVER STOPPED MY CHILDREN FORM SEEING THERE FATHER. MY DAUGHTERS FATHER ALWAYS HAD CONTACT WITH HER, SO DON,T GO JUDGINE IF YOU DON,T KNOW WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT.
Deadbeat Moms too
Apparently this site also likes to defend deadbeat moms, or my earlier comments about the lack of help would have been posted. My ex WIFE has not paid a cent in 2 1/2 years and all i get is the runaround by the child support agency. I have given her current address 5 times in two years and they still cant get to her in time to serve her with papers or arrest her, in some cases she was at the address for 3 months before she moved to avoid arrest. If the roles were reversed, they would be knocking on my door within a few days of getting an address. Now she has fled the state and i was told, "Well, now thats going to create a whole new set of problems"...even though they have an address and her alias. Thanks NC Child Support agency.....thanks for nothing.
Child support
I went through a divorce in 2010,my wife took my three children to nc from ohio after meetin someone on facebook and took two thousand dollars.i sold everything i owned and moved nc to be by my kids.my wife became down on her luck and i ended up with all three children for six months,during that time i had a childsupport case open against her.they knew where she worked and lived and still couldnt find her?yea right!during that order she went to another county and opened a childsupport case against me.i live in ohio again and have primary of my oldest,who is seven,she has other two but guess what?i am paying support on all three and because she opened that support in a different county,i am also in rears 1900.my son and i are goin through hell because of this and i cant do nothin about it, i am broke.cant wait to see whats goin to happen next :/
From a Dad that does pay his child support
I am a divorced Dad and have two children from the marriage. Although the children live with their mother, we agreed to "joint custody" and signed what I was told at the time is a "standard custody agreement" allowing me to have the kids every other weekend and one night a week.
Now their Mom continues to use my possibility of seeing them beyond this original custody agreement as leverage because she knows that it causes me emotional distress. I was tired of her using this leverage and sought legal advice and have been told by several attorneys that if I pay the thousands of dollars to go to court to seek additional time that the judges will likely favor their Mother and that I should be happy with what I have.
I pay my child support on time and always have; I've also split the cost of camps, sports, etc. I am a good father: help with homework, volunteer in their schools, am a member of PTA, have coached their team, etc, etc. Where is the joint custody and equal rights? The system may have loopholes when it comes to those that don't pay child support, but for those that do it just seems down right sexist.
deadbeat dads
The government has no God given right to tell anyone what to do with thier own children.I suggest you worry the h--- out of every politicion you can call until they do away with the family court system that is tearing our famlies apart and making harlots out of the wives of decent men!!!If you vote for this system of satan, You may want to do the decent thing and refuse to vote.
I agree...
with the other comment here about single dads. No one ever talks about them. And I have to say how much I HATE hearing widowed and divorced parents referred to as "single". As far as these single moms, hey, how about not having any kids if you aren't married? Just a thought....
im a single father have been
im a single father have been raising my son for 8 years, and the court wouldnt give me a dime from his mother, they say i make enough money to support him oh but when she ran off with another man i still had to give her half hmmmmmm
Deadbeat Moms too
As a father who is raising his child without the mother anywhere around, let me add that the child support system is a big joke. The people that work there do not want to do their job if it involves a mother paying her support. It has been 2 1/2 years now and my ex has not paid a cent....and child support enforcement isnt lifting a finger. I have to do all the investigating to find her address for them....for a FIFTH time because they cant seem to get to her to have her served within a reasonable time. If is was me, i would have been strung up by my toes in the center of town while her and her friend hit me with a stick until the .35c i swallowed as a child came out my nose.
It seems that
there are some conflicting issues.
Fathers should take accountability for their acts of passion and pleasure. The post seems to address only 1 side.
If 1 of the 2 Fathers is on disability, and is paying what he is ordered to pay monthly, it's not right to throw stones at him.
The post addresses the issue of "single mothers" yet later it indicates she is married and she and her current husband each work 2 jobs.
The post also indicates 2 of the children are grown; would one assume Fathers are no longer required to pay the Mother support? If they are living with her, do they work to support themselves?
How the presence of a 20 year old child, who gave birth at 15 to a child of her own, is relevant to Fathers who fail to pay child support beats me. That young lady either did not learn from the actions of her mother or did not have parental supervision of a level to prevent a teen pregnancy. For that matter, does she work to support herself and her child?
Is this another case of multi-generational entitlement families? If it is, they better look for alternatives. Funding in the next fiscal year, on both a State and Federal level will be down as the fruits of tax, borrow, spend, and print money comes home to both levels of Government.
Child support
The system for child support really stink.. If they go to prison owing child support and when they are release and they go to court the judge will give them credit for time serve. And they don't try to do nothing until they are 30 days or more behind. That child didn't stop growing or they need didn't stop. The one that try to pay they give them a hard time, and the one that never paid could care less. The child is suffering while the absent parent is in confinement they know where next meal is coming from. I have been in situation before. Child support agency just don't care.The only thing they don't have is hey freedom
child support agency don't care
They get paid to collect money from working men for prostitutes.oF COURSE THEY CARE!! i'LL BET THIS TRUTH DON'T MAKE THE COMMENT SEXTION EITHER;tHE GREAT SATAN WILL DELETE IT.
Just like DUIs, NC is a joke when it comes to child support
If you don't want to pay, don't pay. The state has about a hundred loopholes that you can use to totally neglect your obligations.
DUIs, child support
NC is doing the job on DUIs. The laws need to be changed though, because it's all about money for the state. What they need to do is something about all the drug dealers and users and possessions. They all get off scott free to walk the streets and continue to do what they were doing. And everyone should be made to support and take care of their children.
DUI's
I can't believe I agreeing with something that commonsense says,lol. You are very right this time, though!
child support
I am really tired of all the stories about single moms, how they struggle in our economy. Why don't you ever do stories on single dads. You would be shocked at how many single dads there are and how single dads don't get ANY help from the court system. Plenty of men are raising their children because of dead beat moms, but, never any stories about them. I think it's time men got the same treatment as women. I actually see men doing much more with their kids than women!!Men just don't get credit for to much. By the way, I am a woman
I AGREE, I have twin little
I AGREE, I have twin little girls and thank goodness I am married but I see a lot of men raising their children with NO help from anyone. There are more deadbeat moms than you think. Women who have gotten addicted to drugs and left their children with whoever can take care of them or simply didn't want the responsibilities of being a mother.
Child Support
Actually, only 7 out of 1000 non-custodial mothers pay anything, and that does not include the number of case where mothers have dumped the children in the grandparents. Of interest, there would not be as many fathers in arrears is they were given the Federal Child Support Enforcement Handbook for Non-Custodial Parents which tells them their rights, such as how to get free help to modify an order, and to enforce access rights. State Child Support Enforcement conveniently forgets it.
http://ChildSupportRights.org
http://Child_Support.Dads-House.org
I totally agree. A deadbeat
I totally agree. A deadbeat is a deadbeat, man or woman. I think that if a man is raising his children, the mom should pay. My ex husband has lived 15 miles across the state line in South Carolina for 16 years and I have never received child support. He has lived in the same place for 16 years. Apparently, they can't cross the state line to enforce child support. Fortunately, I have been blessed with a good job and have been able to support my child on my own.
You are so on the money
You are so on the money !!!
Yes I feel bad for some of these women.But how about the ones that get child support and dont spend a dime on the kids.Child suport is just that, CHILD SUPPORT !! A dad like me pays child support struggling. While my ex lives in a house that is paid for given to her by her mom. While her new husband works. She doesnt because she dont need to. Everytime my kids ask for something she says ask you father because I cant afford it. And I buy what they need while she spends the money on her self and new husband.The court needs to review some of these womens expenses, before they are awarded any money.The ones that deserve the money should have the exes put in jail till they pay. By the way, I forgot to mention that my kids spend 80% of the time they are with her at her mothers house down the street. Where the hellll is my money going??? I know !!!! a brand new suv, massive flat screen tv, 3 cars in two years for her new husband because he is always drunk and wrecks them, lap tops and weekend trip to georgia for a pro ball game. while I go broke.
GOD BLESS AMERICA !!
child support
I noticed my comment wasn't posted from yesterday. Goes to show why we have so many harlots useing the system to prostitute men and make them pay for it for life.!!! What has this station got against reporting both sides of the story/ Or is it just the plain truth they are affraid to print?