Dear Editor,

Child maintenance is a regular financial contribution made by parents to help with a child’s living expenses. It covers the basic needs of a child such as food, clothes, school items, and other everyday necessities. Yes, children need love, but they also need financial support.

When parents separate, the child is usually in the care of one parent, depending on the custody agreement, who is responsible for taking care of the everyday needs of the child. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of each parent to provide the basic needs and other necessities for the child’s upkeep.

However, this is not always the case, especially when one party believes that the other is capable of providing for the child without additional assistance. This might be true in some instances, but not all, and it is unfair to burden one person when it should be a shared responsibility. As such, both parents need to play their part in the child’s life.

In our Jamaican context, the mother is the one who typically cares for the child, while the father visits or takes the child for weekends, holidays, etc. A biological father who has primary custody of his child will do more for the child, financially, and not pressure the mother for money.

However, when the situation is reversed and the mother has primary custody, it is a different kettle of fish as mothers are quick to threaten or take legal action by dragging the father to family court if the requisite financial support is not forthcoming, especially if she believes he can “afford it”.

What an unfair and unjust situation in which good fathers, at times, find themselves.

Why is this the case, though? Why are the real fathers in our society wrongfully judged and seen in a bad light? As the common saying goes, “One bad apple spoils the barrel.”

Good fathers should not be treated in the same way as the deadbeats.

There are some common misconceptions that the layperson has about the child support laws and I will take this opportunity to debunk a few:

• Only fathers pay child support – The law is not gender-specific on the payment of child support. The court places the burden equally on each parent or legal guardian to care for the child.

• Unemployment equals exemption from child support claims – The court can still order an unemployed parent or guardian to make monthly child support payments.

• Mothers will always be favoured in custody hearings – The court will assess the home environment and the availability of the parties involved to determine who is best suited to have care and control of the child. In cases where mothers have custody of the child, the father still qualifies for visitation rights.

Fathers are often accused of not providing support for their children’s basic needs. They are seen as the main perpetrators, for example, in the recently publicised case of a prominent figure being taken to court for not agreeing to pay an increased amount — as demanded by the child’s mother — for child maintenance.

In light of the current novel coronavirus pandemic, which has caused greater financial strain on everyone, it would be better for all involved if each parent makes a concerted effort to provide continuous financial support to cover the basic necessities of his or her child.

Dahoma South

dahoma_south@yahoo.com