Have you heard about the pizza places in Cincinnati, Ohio, that are displaying wanted posters of "deadbeat" parents on their delivery boxes? Apparently Cynthia Brown, the executive director of the Butler County Child Enforcement Agency in Ohio, thought of the idea while she was ordering a pizza one night. As she told the FOX News Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, the idea began as a way for community members to alert the authorities of the whereabouts of individuals who are behind on child support payments. What she's seeing, though, is that the program seems to be encouraging other parents who owe back child support - but aren't on the pizza box yet - to begin paying. As Brown told FOX News, "What we're seeing is that we're getting an influx of large sums of money that we've never seen before," which her office is attributing to the threat of one's picture showing up on a pizza box.
While the program may be motivating those in arrears to pay back child support, Glenn Sacks, a well-known columnist and advocate for father's rights who was also on the show, expressed concern for the individuals whose names and faces are serving as the catalyst for those increased payments. As Sacks pointed out, the majority - if not all - of the 20 men who have been featured on the pizza boxes since the program began in August of 2006, have either no known employment or extremely low-paying jobs. As such, it is unlikely that these individuals are even capable of paying the money they owe.
Now, I'm sure that as you watch the video*, you'll form your own opinion of whether the Butler County Child Support Enforcement Agency should continue the pizza box program. However, I'm not just going to ask for your opinion. Instead, let's use the comments area below to share solutions. As an individual who has experienced these issues first hand, you have the power to be a catalyst for change. Use what you know and what you've experienced to propose solutions to the larger issue, which is the combination of (a) the number of families who desperately need to receive their assigned child support payments just to get by each month, and (b) the number of obligors who don't earn enough money to pay what they owe.
*Made available through a link to Glenn Sacks' Web site.
Related: Penalizing Parents Who Don't Pay Child Support | When Parents Are Unable to Pay
While the program may be motivating those in arrears to pay back child support, Glenn Sacks, a well-known columnist and advocate for father's rights who was also on the show, expressed concern for the individuals whose names and faces are serving as the catalyst for those increased payments. As Sacks pointed out, the majority - if not all - of the 20 men who have been featured on the pizza boxes since the program began in August of 2006, have either no known employment or extremely low-paying jobs. As such, it is unlikely that these individuals are even capable of paying the money they owe.
Now, I'm sure that as you watch the video*, you'll form your own opinion of whether the Butler County Child Support Enforcement Agency should continue the pizza box program. However, I'm not just going to ask for your opinion. Instead, let's use the comments area below to share solutions. As an individual who has experienced these issues first hand, you have the power to be a catalyst for change. Use what you know and what you've experienced to propose solutions to the larger issue, which is the combination of (a) the number of families who desperately need to receive their assigned child support payments just to get by each month, and (b) the number of obligors who don't earn enough money to pay what they owe.
*Made available through a link to Glenn Sacks' Web site.
Related: Penalizing Parents Who Don't Pay Child Support | When Parents Are Unable to Pay
I have a deadbeat wife who lied to get a PFA and has kept my children from me for over two years now. Lives off SSI and my money and keeps me from the children. The justice system is so far out of wack that it needs a total overhall. Nobody can right the wrong that this has caused. And nobody cares as long as I am paying money in, nobody gives a hoot what happens to the Father!
I sick to my stomach with the whole mess!
For a better debate on parents on pizza boxes listen to the WCCO radio audi at
http://www.hjlawfirm.com/newsroom/podcasts/Pizza%20Box.mp3
Report dead beat parents free! New support forum allows users and visitors to report non-paying parent information in child support cases. This resource will assist users to circulate and collect information about a dead beat parent’s location and financial information which will be used to aid in the collection of past due child support.
VISIT http://www.idbd.info IDBD- Internation Dead Beat Database for more information!
Report dead beat parents free! New support forum allows users and visitors to report non-paying parent information in child support cases. This resource will assist users to circulate and collect information about a dead beat parent’s location and financial information which will be used to aid in the collection of past due child support.
VISIT http://www.idbd.info IDBD- Internation Dead Beat Database for more information!
*I know first hand the frustrations of trying to make ends meet when a dead beat parent isn’t paying their payments because my son’s father hasn’t paid anything in over two years but doesn’t even bother to communicte with his son either. The loss of communiction doesn’t hurt because my son doesn’t even want to talk to or see his dad but the nonpayment of child support does. I am currently physically unable to work because of a serious back injury but I have recently remarried and my current husband does his best to support us all. I am frustrated with the system because they can’t seem to find my son’s father and are slow enforcing the penalties they say are in place to encourage the continuation of payments. The state he was last known to live in even took away his driver’s license but that didn’t seem to effect him or encourage him to begin making payments again which further increases the anger my son holds toward his father. I also understand Thomas’ frustration because my current husband had the same thing happen to him only for a shorter period because he retained an attorney and took action in court until he was allowed to see his daughter again. So I encourage Thomas to do the same or even to just stay on the people at the juvenile court division who oversees visitation rights within the area where he lives. I am sorry to hear about Thomas’ situation and wish him luck in getting the problem resolved.
I’m sorry but I put in the wrong name when refering to a previous comment made about a man’s problem about paying but not being able to see his children. The name on the comment was timbob and I called him Thomas in my earlier comment because I couldn’t quite recall his name but did remember that it began with a T. Sorry about that timbob because even though I got your name wrong I still sicerely mean and stand behind what I said earlier.
i hate both sides and agree it is totally messed up alltogether. i know many fathers/parents who sincerely go above and beyond and seem to get a bad rap anyway, and i know plenty who don’t give a damn such as my ex. He has had problems working, but I think all the years he’s yelled at me to get a second job to cover my expenses, i think he should follow his own advise. i know there are low paying jobs and it is hard to make ends meet. i think any parent, mother or father should do whatever it takes. if the first job isn’t enough get a better one, or a second one, or cut back somewhere. my ex barely sees his kids, and is one year behind. he says he’ll pay when and what he can. well i wish i could pay my tuition, or bills what i want when i want. why does the custodial parent get stuck with no options and the other can do what they want with litte consequence? i think the whole system is terrible all the way around.
Please note: The blog comment area is not a place for ousting parents who are behind on their child support payments. Please follow up with your local Office of Child Support Enforcement, or join us in the Single Parents’ Forum for additional support.
What does the picture on the box do? Doesn’t that “out” the parent behind in child support?
Yes, but this particular county publishes their most wanted list online, so what they were showing on the pizza boxes came from a credible, validated, and public source. You can see how if we opened up our site for people to start naming names, there would be no way for me to validate the claims for accuracy, since not every county makes that information readily available to the public.
Got it! Keep up the good work. Your work is needed.
I agree with Judy! I would love to know if this option is available in other states?
We need this and other options in Michigan! Putting pics on pizza boxes is needed. Too many deadbeat dads are slipping through the cracks.
My husband and I married 3 years ago and he was summons paternity and support. The child is now 12 years old! He never knew of this child up until now. He will comply with the paternity and is very discouraged with the mother. How do you begin to have a relationship with a 12 year old (will be going on 13)? Any advice?