Child Support: To Improve the System, Get Involved
Are you a divorced parent with concerns about any of the legal aspects of child support? If you have an opinion about the way child support works, make your voice heard. Here are a few ways to communicate your ideas about the system.
1. Contact your state representative.
Contact the state legislator in your area to talk about how the state child support enforcement office is working in your region. To find your legislator, go to
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/. Finding your federal, state, and local representatives is as easy as entering your zip code.
2. Contact your congressional representative.
To talk about the way the federal system treats child support collections, talk to the members of the United States Congress. Find the members of the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that serve your area. Then call or write to them to tell them what you think about the child support system. To find your federal representative, go to
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/.
3. Look for a task force.
Many state child enforcement agencies have put together task forces to try to improve the system. Some have parents as members. Look into your state enforcement agency to find out if it has a group that will take parental input.
4. Vote.
Vote for candidates who understand the child support system and have plans for improving it.
5. Become a political watchdog.
Be aware of any bills coming through your state legislature that may change child support enforcement. Some basic information is available at the Child Support and Family Law section of the National Conference of State Legislatures web site at http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/child-support-and-family-law-database.aspx.
