Speak up to the child support division and lawmakers — tell them how you feel about children from other relationships…!!

9th Jun 2008

I noticed a lot of opinions and commentary about the topic of children from other relationships. Ladies, take that thought and put your frustrations down by emailing:

SupportSchedule@dshs.wa.gov

State Senators, DSHS (child support enforcement), State Representatives, Women’s Rights Activists, Low Income Representatives, State Bar Association members, Judges, Non Custodial and Custodial parents are sitting down NOW to determine for your family, how your “subsequent child(ren)” are going to be counted. And do you know what the consensus is?? That YOUR KIDS DON’T COUNT.

Don’t let them do this to you, to us, to our future generations. Get mad. Have your say like you did here. Ask your husband your in-laws, your parents to do the same. Help me tell them that we will NOT stand for this!!

They are accepting “public commentary” on children from other relationships and other issues, such as your husband’s overtime, bonuses, insurance, and his (and your) lively-hood.

Here is the list of questions that are under consideration and that deserve your opinion and commentary.

1. Should the support schedule and guidelines consider a parent’s children from other relationships? If so, should the Whole Family Formula be the preferred method of dealing with this issue?
2. Should the economic table be expanded to include parents whose combined income exceeds $5,000 per month?
3. Should the economic table start at combined income at 125% of the federal poverty level and move upward in $100 increments?
4. Should the economic table have separate categories for children under 12 and children 12 and over?
5. Should child care costs and ordinary medical costs be included in the economic table or treated separately?
6. Which method should be used as the basis for calculations to create the economic table: the Rothbarth estimate, the Engel estimator, or some other method.
7. Should the self-support reserve be tied to the federal poverty level?
8. What rules should apply to imputation of income when calculating child support obligations, including such issues as whether the court should impute minimum wage earnings to a parent when there is not enough information regarding income before the court.
9. Should extraordinary medical expenses be included in the basic child support obligation or as a separate obligation?
10. Should the current presumptive minimum support obligation of $25 per month per child be adjusted or stay the same?
11. Should child support obligations be based on a parent’s gross or net income?
12. How a parent’s income from overtime or a second job should be considered when calculating the parent’s child support obligation.
13. Whether the noncustodial parent’s current child support obligation should be limited to 45% of net income.
14. Whether the child’s residential schedule should affect the amount of a parent’s child support obligation.

PLEASE, PLEASE email your responses to: SupportSchedule@dshs.wa.gov

http://www.dshs.wa.gov/dcs/Resources/workgroup.asp

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