How America's Child Support System Failed To Keep Up With The Times : NPR

Oncefa2 · 2021-03-02T16:40:47+00:00

Welfare reform really did punctuate this idea that fathers should be responsible for providing for their children, that the state will do it in limited circumstances, but that we want the fathers to be the ones who are responsible for this. And there was a very strong notion at that point that men who weren't paying for their child support were not involved in their children's lives, were just deadbeat and avoiding the system.

Doesn't this reinforce traditional gender norms?

I mean the article is criticizing this system, I just think it's a bit hypocritical that some people go on and on about how gender norm enforcement is a bad thing, but then do a 180 when those gender norms help women and harm men.

In this case this appears to be institutionalized as well.

For anyone who wants a tldr:

The modern child support system was created back when 99% of children were born inside of marriage, and jobs were plentiful and paid enough for men to work and women to stay home.

Child support was designed to help divorced mothers, not their children, because they often couldn't support themselves and relied on welfare. They also usually ended up with their children. So the system was designed to mimick a single income household with a well-off father earning enough money for two people, and a stay at home mom who was dependent on him.

Now that most families are dual income and many children are had out of wedlock (and in other non traditional arrangements), this paradigm doesn't really work anymore. Most non working moms are now single and living off welfare and child support as a lifestyle choice, not as a consensual arrangement between a husband and a wife That is no longer what's "normal" for people who are married or raising children as a couple, so our welfare and child support laws need to be reformed to reflect this reality.

DreamTheaterGuy · 2021-03-02T20:52:51+00:00

I made a suggestion on twitter that ex-husbands should not be responsible for supporting their ex-wives, and wow the feminist came out of the woodwork to rip me a new one.

Justin6489 · 2021-03-03T04:55:09+00:00

I have joint custody of my son and I pay $412 a month and carry dental, eye, and medical insurance on him. His mother lives off the government and won't work. So I have to make up for her loss in pay.

How America's Child Support System Failed To Keep Up With The Times : NPR

Crosspost "How America's Child Support System Failed To Keep Up With The Times : NPR" from /r/ChildSupport4Men:

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Title	How America's Child Support System Failed To Keep Up With The Times : NPR
Author	MRMRising
Upvotes	76
Comments	15
Date	March 2, 2021 2:03 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/lw2mx5/how_americas_child_support_system_failed_to_keep/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/how-americas-child-support-system-failed-to-keep.1191705 https://theredarchive.com/post/1191705