Better safeguard of children’s rights

WE can only be thankful that three pivotal sections of the Maintenance Amendment Act have now come info effect.

For families with children of school-going age, January can be a stressful month as the bills mount for school fees, new uniforms, stationery and the like.

After the spoiling and gifts of Christmas there often is simply not enough money set aside to pay for the mundane bills of the new year.

Where there are two income-earning parents it is wrong that only one has to shoulder the burden of these expenses, but sadly this is often the case with many defaulting on maintenance, to the detriment of their families.

While many separated couples do fairly share the financial burden of looking after their children, there are too many “deadbeat dads” – because without wanting to appear sexist, it is more often the fathers, with men generally in a stronger economic position than women, who default on maintenance payments.

One attorney quoted in The Herald yesterday spoke of an “epidemic” of child support dodgers.

Thanks to amendments which came into effect last Friday however, there are now more avenues open for single parents to track down and extract the money they are legally due.

Whether you are wealthy or poor, there is an obligation to contribute to the care of your child, and service delivery is not only important for roads, water and housing issues but also for judicial services such as a functioning maintenance system.

Dodgers who default on their monthly child support payments will now have their personal information submitted to credit bureaus and face being blacklisted.

Furthermore, if they are trying to duck out of reach of the law but have a cellphone number, the court may now ask the cellphone providers to provide the court with their contact information.

Plus, if there is a cost incurred to the court in doing this, the court may now also order the evasive party to refund any costs incurred.

Along with members of the legal fraternity we welcome these amendments which tighten up measures aimed at defaulters, ultimately protecting children and safeguarding their rights.