Government is reviewing Dominica’s child maintenance law to get tougher on fathers who neglect their responsibilities.
The reviewed legislation could see the method of salary deduction applied to get fathers to pay child maintenance fees.
“We are reviewing the child maintenance law to see whether we can have salary deductions for some of the men who the courts have determined need to pay their weekly and monthly maintenance to their children,” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit stated.
He told Dominican fathers they must not depend solely on government to take charge of their responsibilities and must “recommit” themselves to their children.
“The government can assist you but you cannot go having kids here and there and then abandon them, and if you fail to take charge of your responsibilities the government will come and get you and force you by law to take care of your children,” Skerrit stressed.
He said government is bent on protecting the single mothers who have been left alone to support their children.
There are fathers that are policemen, and neglect there kids, like its beg u begging them to feed their ofspring. The bad thing is that some of them are married and still have stepny , how coild u be with a guy so? There is A law for them yet the commissioner still slack in demanding they pay. That’s y things happen to some of them eh eh
The effects on father absenteeism has serious repercussions on children especially male. I would recommend the Government conduct a survey, amongst boys and girls, to determine the effects on father absenteeism on the individuals and their families
dont get vex but in my eperience alot of fathers stay away from their children because of the arrogant,stupid,imature behaviour of the mothers who think that they own you because they say the child his yours,mothers stop been bullys and really think of what is best for your child and not what is best for your revenge
alls well bout the law for the fathers that have no reason for them to see their children but i have a husbord who as two boys the older the is great but the anther one is not he as abused me and my two girls for 4 years now so we have to stop him from coming to the house and not to see my girls.the father as stop the little one coming to pertart the girls from harm we love that little one but have to think off the others as well??????
Well as for me i have been thru the worst. im pregnant n my other half father and mother wants me to abort the baby because they claim to say that their 29 year old son cant take up this kind of responsibility. OMG!!!!! at three months gestation his family actually took me to the doctors office to abort the baby and i decided i should have a say as a grown woman (33yrs old) im not a child n u CAN”T force me too to do wat is wrong or something that i dont WANT to do. Im keeping the baby whether ur son helps me or not. i hope ur reading this to the “H” family. The mother of my other half is such n a** that shes more in my biz than taking care of her husband who is always complaining that she needs to give him more love but she all up in her sons biz. Lady, mind ur biz ( dont know whether she wants to f*** her son) lol
At the moment i am pregnant with my second child ( my first actually doesnt have a dad n any support from her dad either) so now i think is the best time to pass this law so the my babys father can step up. I mean, I’ve been through a rough time with him and the last words i heard from him was f**** off, lol. I’ll remember these words for life but at the end of the day im going to put my pride behind me and let him pay child support for the next 18 years if everything goes well. He can move on, no worries but he has a responsibility and he has to take care care of that responsibility. Thank you Mr.Skerrit, i see we’re absolutely moving to the NEXT Level. LaboUR PowER!!!
yes but their is fathers whos kids are abusing thier sisers and step mothers and one of them thogh a 4 yr old down below and messing for her there and that kid abuses the girls and the step mum for 4 yrs so in the end that father had to pertart the girls for his own boy that father had to stop him for coming to the house for safty reasons to his family
some of those children is readymade jacket so sir if you chnaging law, put a clause to do a damn dna ok ..duh upset me now …shait man
ur so silly. It might be ready -made or some men still say that its not their child and the f**king child has the split image of the father n they STILL say its ready-made! Shait man!!!!
These guys need to understand that kids have to eat too, before they go slinging their D**ks everywhere.
That was way overdue…. my father would have paid thousands….. God bless his heart….
SO WHAT ABOUT THE MOTHERS WHO NEGLECT THIER ROLE AS WELL ? RAISING A CHILD IA A NOT ONE PERSON RESPONSIBILITY . CAUSE I SURE IS NOT THE MAN ALONE THAT CAN ABANDON THIER ROLE IN CHILD CARE…
Who the cap fits let them wear it. PM: favored.
thats a good move on the Government side. but he must tell the law officers b4 they go being fathers for money they too have to support all those seed they drop every where and neglect or just turn their back, so police officers clean your back yard first
So far every comment is based on money, not a little daddy/mummy I love you, or son/daughter I love you…. kids also need to know that their parents will be there for them at all time..daddys little GIRL daddys little BOY, A man can be the most broke assssss and be the best daddy..remember that movie with Will Smith? PERSUIT OF HAPPINESS? he never turn his back on his son but the mother did…mothers too abandon their kids, and child support does not have to come mainly from the father…child support should be based on both financial emotional support , simply care for another part of you…your child…some fathers/mothers look at there kids and feel ashame….especially when they are no longer with this childs mother/father….and thinks that they might CRAMP their style…no man or woman should forsake their children to make another human being happy…only a selfish man or woman would abandon his flesh and blood..
ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL WHEN A MAN CARRIES HIS BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER AROUND, AND DOES HIS DAMDESS TO SHOW OFF HIS LITTLE PRINCESS? WHILE SHE SQUEEZE HIS CHEEK WOW, AND THE SAME GOES FOR HIS SON…
Understand people Child support…..BLOOD
Agreed 100%….Remember BLOOD…Despite all odds you cannot deny or ignore your FLESH and BLOOD
I agree is not all about money! However you cannot force them to love but you can certainly force them to SUPPORT! Good move!
i have two Kids with two wemen……… i give them both money but its never enough Skerrit make your own kid outside like me then you will know what happens………….. kid 1 i havent seen him in 5 months yet every month i pay for the kid………. kid 2 is a treasure but the mother is a fool……. the both mothers have other man an to make it worse mother 1 have another child and mother 2 just in waiting…….. how does that go for a concerned FATHER who wants kids and the mothers are a mess,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, advise………………..
Do your best my friend.Every chance you get,love your children and tell them things that will make them love you.And i want women to know that the more we put our hildren against their fathers,the more they love them.Later will prove best.Maybe u should consult a lawyer.Maybe.
Two children, not two kids.
Some men just to wicked when they with thee woman they feed the child as soon as things go bad and the woman move on they just forget they have a child well God is not asleep what goes around comes around but we woman must always b independent so no mater what we will not beg dem that does kill then trust me …but men must step up i know of men ownin the court thousands of doller and nothin is done i hope is not just mouth talk mr PM and keep to youe wordl and make those macho man pay their child support.
It is about time that this law is implemented in Dominica and please make this effective as soon as possible Mr. Prime Minister….to some of the guilty fathers that associate with the PM I hope they take hid and take responsibilities as fathers both financially and emotionally
I have a son with a woman and we are no more in a relationship for the past 3yrs now. The child lives with his mother and i’m supporting my child 100% by giving the mother a cheque at the end of every month. Now the mother doesn’t have a job neither she doesn’t want to work and cannot make a contribution to the child’s support. She is just there depending on the child’s money every month and claims that the money is not enough asking for $500.00 monthly. For what reason? to put weave, make ups, long zong…………… not over my dead body this woman can get $500.00 not even the court will claim dat amount some women r just out of place.
then sir hat you do is take her to court it goes both ways you know this woman is taking advantage of you and you need to put your foot down . I dont think this should be for men only women have to maintain their children as well
sorry to tell you but $500 is NOT alot of money….and am sure to take care of a child on a monthly basis cost much more than $500.00…i mean in your case she is taking advantage of you..but am just saying $500 is not as much as it used to be..
hello,
my mother was a single parent and she use to feed us out of one pot we use one shower, one roof,so how come the 500 doll ecc aint enough?is this child use a diffrent spoon? or pot to cook in/ or he lives in a diffrent roof? this bills belongs to the mother,all the father does is to HELP aliviate the burden of the child care,and plus which child buys shoes every month or school clothing? only food and drinks,so the child still sleeps and lives,and eat out of one pot,lives under one roof,
p.s i use to pay child support too 10 yrs ago so i know what I’m talking about,
Mr. Pm, what about putting penalties in place for women who gave a child to a man who is not the real father? I think that would solve a lot of our problems. If a man knows that he will be charged for not taking care of his child and the woman likewise knows that she could be fined for causing the wrong man to pay child support, both parties would be careful about sex and we would have a better nation. Just some food for thought.
In the same token, the government should also put the proper machinery in place to ensure that a child does not have two, three, or four fathers. By this I mean, the government should be able to perform proper DNA test so that the real father performs his duty instead of a person who was given a child that belongs to another man as is so common in our culture. I know of so many kids in DA that grew up using another man’s last name, raised by that same man as father and child, only to find out that when the child got older or got a good job, that same child rejects that man, and uses the real father’s last name.
As a godly man, I believe the government through the court should not just force force a man to pay child support unless they take proper identification steps to ensure that there is a perfect blood match between father and child. Otherwise the government would set itself up to be sued by men whose money was taken by government for a child that was never theirs.
dem women that taking men to court to feed children is a waste of time…….u need get off your a** and go get work to do to help raise the children. is not de man alone that enjoyed de sex. so why he alone has to feed de products……all u women to wicked. but there is is a god and he not sleeping. judgement day is coming….u will get what you deserve
i hope u are a man and not a woman…cause u are being unfair…listen, the primary everyday care of a child is much more difficult than just giving some money at the end of the month…if u are a mother and a single one at that, u will understand. have u ever been in situation where u want to go to work and u have no one to babysit?, or your child is sick and u have to be up and down hospital and doctor?..or at nights when u want to sleep and the child is keeping u awake??….or the demands of ensuring the child has three good meals, clean clothes and a comfortable environment?..trust me, these are much more demanding that giving some money every month..
Oye
then make sure you take your birth control,and he too,then you dont have any problem
I’m a woman….proud to be…….and ttrust me i know all the stuff u talking about……staying up at nights……going up n down hospital n guess what????? i NEVER begged my son’s father for anything for him. not once. so you think he doesn’t know that having a child comes with responsibilities?? if he doe want to take it up why beg him???? i took the responsibilities of being mother and father and i work day and night to ensure that he has everything he needs…..to hell with his father……other women need to do the same………forget about depending on men to feed their kids and do it themselves… sometines dem self cannot even buy a bread for them to eat muchless pay child support and de people in de court not hearing that……instead they want to send de man stock farm……for what???? jus de child to say “my mummy made them send my daddy prison?????” good for allu
As for me,i hope my own will stay headquarters.(child support)Leave it hH Q before it go Scotia Bank.I so gladdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd? It’s payment time.I like it.
no child support , no PASSPORT!
This is a smoke screen to hide the dirtiness that goes on in hgh places, the bomb will soon come out its just a matter of time. Hurray!!!!!!
Thats you mannnnn….. :
Well, well, so when we phecondate the young girls when send them by the learned doctor to flush them out and if he says otherwise we send them the Barbados. We should keep the babies because we can afford and not flush them away, and come and play as if we like children and we are concerned about mothers. Sakway hypocrite, matei, muddera
when man give alu women money for child support you all dont support the kids,what u do it take the money buy yourself nice clothes nice shoe do alu nails etc.. and next thing child stays hungry then u all on the road saying he aint giving u enough for the child
i agree with you! this is a personal issue for me as a woman even! i have a husband that goes to lengths for his child went as far as the courts and they denied him because there was alck of physical evidence of abuse! bull shit! and the mother is starving the child depriving him of a relationship with his father and his fathers family even allowing him to curse and abuse me the wife ! she sits all day in townm running her thin lil hungry mouth about us and how our family is…she uses the money to pay bus to run her man wile the child stays by every other person who feels sorry for him…as for the fatherm he can only stand and watch wile his only son is dragged thru this…..it hurts me as the wife that there is nothin i can d for my husband!
she gets her monthly cheque and wat she does is show the amount off to all her friends and those that cease to have any meaningful contribution to life………spreading propaganda about the money not being enough while the child starves and she smeels sweet and all dressed up!
god is the greatest judge! let it be known and all dogs have their day, mr PM make our family court for us please! please! where this low life mothers can be investigated and humilated! a father can take care of his kids and be custodians just like us women and even better too….
its not just about the money as COURT NUMBER 3 stresses……its takes more than that to raise a child nowadays.
Well what about those lazy women that not supporting their children. Well I’m taking care of my children on my own and hope the same law applies for those so called women who just abandond their children to rome like b******
No real man will eat, dress pretty, and let his child starve….boys will be boys..
A real man should not be forced to mentain his child.
No real man would risk his life for some SEX….just for a moment of pleasure..knowing that, woman are nasty as they always say…if woman is nasty, and you fathered her child you are nastier than she is 100%…
Without proper structure..society will crumble…..and a father should remain the head of his househole…….to make a woman your queen you should honour her, and also your child…
This LAW has been long overdue…
ALSO WOMEN IN DCA SHOULD STOP MAKING CHILDREN FOR MEN THEY KNOW THAT HAVE FIVE CHILDREN AND NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM>>>>IN SOME VILLAGES SOME MEN HAVE3 or 4 women they making children with at the same time, THEN THE MAN MIGRATES….
Sweet heart that is world wide….the rich and the poor….a moment ……some regret and some treasure.. we should let our concience be our guide..
How about protecting the men from the vultures out there who willingly get pregnant or already was pregnant and still givin people baby – both ready mades and not.
This happens alot in the Grand Bay community
anonymous …oh my God…..what you want withGandbaypeople..you have me cracking up
Go to the health center to get condoms……..pregnancy is nine(9) months… HIV is a life time…..and if you are already aware of that fact.. I hope you will see to it that you’re are not in this vultures trap….education….awareness and prevention….
What about self control on their part?
totally agree with this move and also reiterate the point made by previous commentors re it applying to the ‘non-custodial’ parent and not just to the father. We in Dominica need to open our eyes, it is not just men that are the problems. If there was proper consultation done on this instead of just talk the PM would know how to address this matter in a political correct and informed manner instead of just mouthing out. Good going but do your homework first before talking.
no job? tomuch sewo and de man an dem making more Booomb than russia with there monies.skerritt tired making trips for alyou.
I am in support of such legislation. Take away thier drivers lincense, thier passports, garnish their wages. thats how you go after them, if they have property, put a lien against the property. This is long overdue.
So alu woman like it eh? Then alu sit down and depend only on that money using the child like a weapon.
shut up!!! in the European countries we still have to sit on our behinds if we want to becuz the government still look after ur kids and pay child maintenance for ya’ll men. So y cant we sit on our a** here n look after our kids whilst u men pay child support, run women and spend ya’ll money drinking booze? so is for one set then!! dominica stepping up!!!
What kind of consulting was done in efforts to ammend the current child maintenance laws? Are there guidelines in place with an equation which shows how much each parent should contribute?
I totally agree with “Alas” in the terminology used. They should refer to non-custodial parents. In the US, if the state has removed a child from a household for any kind of investigation and the child is placed in foster care, the parents (both mother AND father) of that child has to pay the state for child maintenance. Just as if an uncle, aunt or grandparents has custody of a child, they can take the parents to court for support of that child.
The law should be revised to reflect appropriate terminology and also enforcement measures that can be taken. As “wow” said, licenses (both driver’s and professional) should be suspended, applications for passport denied, bank accounts seized…..the possiblities are endless in terms of enforcement. I think that would make non-custodial parents think twice about not paying their child maintenance monthly/weekly amount.
WHene a child is in foster care no parents pays no money, its called kniship foster care if the child is with family, its all tax payers money….get the facts straight
the parents DO pay money….federal AND state laws REQUIRE parents to support their children when they are in foster care whether by voluntary placement or by court order…so I suggest you get your facts straight….I work in the system so I’m not just mouthing off something I heard. I know what I’m talking about
How bout instituting DNA testing in DA so that those deliquent men could be certain that they are supporting THEIR children. We know how some women behave and just name any man as the father/s of their child/children when they know fully well that the child belongs to someone else. In those cases you have men taking up the responsibility of other men.
100% in agreement.
I was going to comment on the DNA factor, but you beat me to it. Also what about the women who hand over custody to the fathers, surely they to should contribute to their childs upkeep.
Agree
What would the penalty for non-compliance?
I saw this clip on Marpin news last night – very sorry that somehow we’re about to do something about the MEN who do not take up their responsibilities. Children have two PARENTS and if we’re going to strengthen the legislation it should be to punish the non-custodial PARENT – male or female. This is a personal issue for me – I’m a non custodial MOTHER and the entire world thinks that I am crazy to feel some sort of moral obligation to voluntarily “support” my children.
Men have behaved badly for generations on this issue however, PARENTS – male and female should be made to contribute – financially and otherwise to their children……..
Agree with you. That was a sexist statement made in the news. Although we may be unaware that it happens, or it may not be as rampant, there are mothers who are non-custodial who, unlike you, feel no need to even turn back and look at those children. The law to pay child support should apply to them as well when is the father bearing all the responsibilitites on their own.
I commend you for thinking of your child. I’m sure that there are not many like you.
Just because he/she does not live with you does not mean you have to abondan your responsibilties. Your actions means that your child knows that BOTH parents care about him/her, and it also means that the relationship between mother/father is civil (even friendly), and that is great for the childs being.
Well when government have to give money to the mothers that the fathers could have been giving their kids then its no longer personal. Why should these men force tax payers to take up their responsibilities?
“The government can assist you but you cannot go having kids here and there and then abandon them and if you fail to take charge of your responsibilities the government will come and get you and force you by law to take care of your children,” Skerrit stressed.
U know medard, why don’t u go on an abstinence campaign, so no one will be in this situation, i really hate it when u fellas pass legislation to get involved in people personal lives, live that for managed societies like China, focus on security and infrastructure let people be responsible for their choices.
You know Hugo you amaze me … “get involved in personal lives” … sio in your books it is ok to give children and abscond your responsibilites…. Hope you are not a father who is not maintaining your child(ren) if you do have anything. You are a real hater of the Government .. You go against everything they try to do.. Hugo get real.
that is why the red clinic is open again.
I’m sure that you dont really mean that.
I’ve read your past comments and true to form your view is only because its Skeritt (DLP).
Put politics aside for once, and see the bigger picture. Trust me you’ll feel better for it.
hey how about aslo taking away their license, and denying them the ability to travel. these are some measures taken by other countries.
for those who have back payment, unless all is fully paid they will never be abvle to drive or travell.