My friend is going to jail for not paying child support. He was current through Dec of this last year and then lost his job. The judge told him that he could not tell his kids why he was going to jail. He has his kids 40 percent of the time. Is it legal for the courts to prevent him from telling the kids why he was going to be missing from their lives for up to six months.

Also, the court has him paying for childcare but he is home and available to watch the kids after school. Is there anyway to get the judge to consider letting them go to his house after school rather than paying for child care? His lawyer is awful.