In this article, we will look at 15 countries that don’t enforce child support.
Child support is a payment that the non-custodial parent pays to the custodial parent for the maintenance of their children. According to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), over the course of fiscal year 20201, parents paid $32.7 billion worth of child support in the United States. The importance of child support to the US society can be seen by the fact that one in five children in the country received child support during the fiscal year 2021. Child support in the United States helps 750,000 people live above the poverty line. However, child support laws and enforcement in the United States have only been effective in the recent past. Child support laws in the country were molded after the English laws. By the late 18th century, child support laws existed in 13 colonies. However, it was not until the late nineteenth century that civil laws were created by courts. An important aspect to consider when looking at the evolution of child support laws is the role of children. Prior to the nineteenth century, children were generally looked at as wage earners from a very young age. However, with time, young children under the age of eighteen became dependents who needed maternal nurturing. In addition, the child support laws were biased towards the mother since they were thought to bear the burden of raising the child. In the nineteenth century, there was a spike in single-mother households, and the public support for children was not enough to cover the total child support expenses of the nation. So, the financial burden of a child’s upbringing naturally fell on the father. Fast forward to today, child support laws have evolved to better suit the needs of society. Today, the non-custodial parent is obliged to pay child support in most cases. Enforcement of child support has also become quite stringent. A parent who skips his child support obligations could even end up in jail.
Although child support in the United States supports 13.2 million children, its enforcement has certainly raised some eyebrows. The child support program in its current form in the United States was launched in 1975. It was a federal-state partnership and was launched with the goal of reducing the expenditures of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Prior to this, the AFDC provided economic support to families with children. The child support program mandated the non-custodial parents to pay for the expenses incurred by AFDC to support their families. This payment, however, was not directed to the children. It was directed to AFDC as a repayment. If, for example, AFDC paid $100 to a family for child support, and the non-custodial parent paid $100, none of the amount would go to the child, and the entirety would go to the state. However, it must be noted that many states today pass some of the amounts to the custodial parent.
This child support program has received criticism for negatively affecting low-income groups. It also garners criticism from activists since its implementation means that there is essentially no state security for low-income households. Roughly 25% of the families that receive child support live in poverty. Many critics of the current child support enforcement policies point out that it does little to help poor families and non-custodial parents achieve financial stability so they can support their families. The law mostly fails to consider whether parents avoiding child support payments can afford it or not. In one study done in California, 80% of the parents who had arrears in child support had annual incomes below $20,000. Enforcement of child support without considering the financial situation of the parent worsens the financial situation of most people belonging to low-income groups. Their debt grows, credit scores take a hit and their employment and housing are jeopardized. Incarceration eliminates all possibilities of getting financial stability. Critics of the current child support enforcement policies point out that they do not help anyone. A better approach, according to them, would be to provide training to the non-custodial and financially unstable parent to improve the prospects of employment. This would also release state burden as it would decrease child support arrears and costs associated with incarceration in the future.
Despite the criticism of current child support policies, most activists and critics believe that the existence of child support laws is essential They do not agree with the enforcement policies but do not advocate a lack of enforcement. The United States is quite stringent in enforcing child support, where you get child support even if the father or non-custodial parent lives in another country. However, not every country does the same. It is essential to note that child support laws exist in almost every country, but their enforcement is subjective. Even low-income countries in Africa have child support laws. With that backdrop, let’s look at 15 countries that don’t enforce child support.
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Methodology
We relied on multiple sources to curate our list of the 15 countries that don’t enforce child support. It is worth noting that very few countries publish objective data on child support payments and compliance. So, we relied on a subjective assessment of each country’s child support situation. We started off by creating a list of countries that do not prioritize child support enforcement. Then we narrowed down our list to 15 countries after going through subjective opinions regarding child support in each country. This list, however, does not rank countries based on their child support enforcement.
15 – Iraq
Iraq is under the grip of a violent crisis, among which child support has taken a back seat. The 1.3 million children of Iraq have been affected amongst which roughly half a million need humanitarian aid. Iraq is also one of the worst countries for child labor, which continues to disrupt their education and well-being. Amidst the political turmoil and dwindling economy, the state has very few resources to enforce child support and other laws in the country.
14 – Thailand
Under Thai law, both parents are bound to financially support the child until they reach the legal age of 20. The country also has laws for support to single parents where the non-custodial parent is supposed to pay the custodial parent for the upkeep of the children. However, in case the parents of the child are not married, the father has no legal obligations towards the child. So, the mother is required to raise the child on her own if it is born out of wedlock. The only way to get the father to pay for child support if the couple is not married is either through a lengthy court process or a later marriage between the couple.
13 – Vietnam
The Vietnam legal system recognizes the need for child support for a single parent. The law in the country makes it mandatory for the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to fulfill the needs of the child. However, Vietnam lags in enforcing child support. While reading various forums, we found out that there is very little an eligible parent can do to get child support payments if the non-custodial parent does not want to pay.
12 – Iran
Iran is ruled by a theocratic government with very few rights for women and children born without marriage. Although some laws exist to ensure child support in cases of divorce, the law has very little to say about children born without a marriage. These children do not even have the same rights as the ones born to a married couple. In addition, there is very little a custodial parent can do to get child support from a non-custodial parent.
11 – Philippines
The Philippines is one of the countries that do not enforce child support. The law does state that the parents are supposed to take care of the child until they turn 18. In case of separation between parents, the non-custodial parent is supposed to pay for child support. However, there is very little enforcement of child support in the country. Even the law provides a way for the responsible parent to get out of child support if they show budget constraints.
10 – Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a developing nation in Asia. The country does have child support laws, but its enforcement is non-existent. In addition, the country suffers from an alarming rate of violence and torture against children, and child labor is prevalent in the country.
9 – Indonesia
As per Indonesian laws, the father is fully responsible for paying for child support in case of separation. However, the father can get away with child support legally if he is unable to fulfill the obligations. In the case of unmarried parents, the law does not provide much guidance over the matter of child support. In any case, it is easy to evade child support obligations in the country, and the non-custodial parent is rarely ever penalized for missing child support obligations.
8 – Egypt
Egypt is under the grasp of political and financial turmoil. Much like all other laws in the country, child support is rarely ever enforced, which makes it one of the countries that don’t enforce child support. In addition, if a woman takes a divorce, she is not entitled to any child support legally. Even parents who are obligated to pay child support under the eyes of the law find it easy to evade their responsibility without much of consequence.
7 – Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the countries that don’t enforce child support. As per the law, the father is obliged to pay child support until the child reaches the age of majority. However, if the parents of the child are not married, the custodial parent is not entitled to any child support. In most cases, it is easy to evade the legal system of Pakistan. Failure to pay child support payment does not affect credit score, and the non-custodial parent is rarely ever penalized.
6 – Nigeria
Child support laws in Nigeria are progressive, given its overall political and economic condition. However, it is the enforcement of these laws that remains questioned. According to the law, the custodial parent, in most cases a woman, is entitled to child support for the children who have not reached the age of majority. However, laws are rarely ever implemented in Nigeria, and child support law is no exception. People rarely ever experience consequences for evading their child support responsibilities.
5 – Syria
Syria is in the midst of severe political and economic turmoil, during which things such as the rights of children take a back seat. The country has limited enforcement of laws all over. So, child support is rarely ever enforced.
4 – Ghana
Ghana recognizes the mandatory parental obligation to pay for the child. In the case of separated parents, the non-custodial parent is supposed to pay for the custodial parent. However, child support is rarely enforced in the country, and many parents evict their obligations.