Mom wants deadbeat dad to pay child support

A single mother is pleading with the authorities to implement sterner measures that would compel fathers who have been ordered to pay child support to honour their obligations.

The woman claims that her child's father owes in excess of $750,000 in child support since the Family Court ordered him to pay $2,500 per week to support the child.

"Him only pay $8,000 one time and never pay again until now. My daughter is seven now and everything is just me, every school, book, food and all. This cannot continue because a never me alone make the child," the woman told THE STAR.

She said that her child's father migrated to the United States of America, and has abandoned his duties to his daughter. She is calling on the courts to be more active in cases of such nature.

"He is in America and even to send the little girl something every two weeks him don't do nothing at all. When him do give her a phone call a just empty promises," she said. "Me nuh know why the system don't set up things different to make sure these men pay. He is travelling back and forth to Jamaica and has so much money owing in the court. I can't see how that is fair to me because all when the child is 18 them still never get the support."

The mother, who is a small business operator, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has all but crippled her business. She said that she has to care for her two children, and the other child's dad is also a deadbeat.

"I'm sure other women are going through the same thing and we need something to be done. These men are cruel and they can't expect us to be left with all the burden," the woman said.

Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels said that the struggling woman might be able to take further legal actions against her deadbeat babyfather despite him being overseas.

"There are some states in the US that has agreement with Jamaica to enforce our orders. So it depends on the particular state that the father is in, the mother can get some form of assistance there," he told THE STAR.