Regardless of whether a Tennessee couple stays married or gets a divorce, once two people cross the threshold of parenthood they have a responsibility to the children until they attain adulthood. For divorcees, the role of each parent may sometimes become clear, with one parent doing the care-giving and other taking of the financial burden. In such cases, there are times when the non-custodial parent responsible for paying child support becomes financially challenged.
In Tennessee, such parents can seek support from the state through such programs as the Non-Custodial Parent Choices Program. This helps ensure that the paying parent stays in the workforce and remains capable of earning a wage. Defaulting on child support payments is an offense, which can result in jail time and curtail the person’s ability to pay. Thus, a program that focuses on keeping parents responsible for child support employed has the potential to lower the number of delinquencies.
Curiously, there is apparently an emotional aspect to defaulting on child support, with studies indicating that children tend to develop sympathy for the non-custodial parent who gets sued for failing to meet child support commitments. Given that not paying child support can often mean a diminished lifestyle for the custodial parent, and, consequently, for children, this behavior can be perplexing for the parent raising the children.
However, divorced parents who have either chosen to or are tasked with raising children by themselves need the assurances of regular financial support. The non-custodial parent has to keep making payments. Any measure that can help keep this process uninterrupted is welcome. Keeping parents out of court is in the best interests of children. Non-custodial parents should, at the very least, try and obtain all information available about programs, which aim to assist them financially.