Monday, May 21, 2007

Deadbeat Dads and Pizza, Good Combination?

A county in Virginia has instituted a program that puts the faces and names of fathers who owe back child support on the front of pizza boxes in attempt to either deter men from not paying their child support and to find those individuals who have outstanding warrants for arrest based on their failure to pay child support. Its a novel approach to a problem that has become increasingly more prevalent over the past couple of decades. More and more fathers, and mothers, fail to pay their child support resulting in child support arrears that are in the billions of dollars. Getting someone to pay their child support has been a tough dilemma, because jail time keeps that person from working which then means they still aren't able to pay their support obligation. At the same time, there are many people out there who are working the system in order to avoid paying their support and may bring their arrears current if they were arrested, or were faced with the public humiliation of having their picture placed on a pizza box. Despite what anyone has to say about this one, its a novel idea and if it results in finding
"deadbeat dads" or stops someone from skipping out on their child support obligation, its worth whatever infringements on personal privacy which may be involved.

If you would like to read the story about the Deadbeat Dad Pizza Box, you can read it at: http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/052007/05112007/283353

1 comment:

Megan Champion said...

this is a fantastic idea, I actually called Bill, who wrote the article and talked to him about it. He gave me the number to the PD and Im waiting to hear back from them.

Is there anything in Florida law that would prevent us from doing this here?

My son's father is a deadbeat dad to 4 children.

yes, 4.

Something needs to be done.