Boyd-Knights condemns dead beat fathers

Boyd-Knights has condemned absentee fathers

Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alix Boyd-Knights, has condemned absentee fathers who fail to provide financial support to their children, especially during the Christmas season.

In an end of the year statement, Boyd-Knights described Christmas as a season of merriment, punctuated by events like midnight mass, shopping, and special meals. She explained, however, that many children will be deprived of this cheer due to lack of maintenance from their fathers.

She expressed contempt for the slow and “ineffective” legal framework on child maintenance, which works to the advantage of absentee fathers.

“It saddens me, therefore, that so many children do not experience these traditions, and I am particularly referring to the many children whose fathers continue to neglect them, even at this time,” Boyd-Kinghts commented. “I rue, too, the fact that the legal procedural wills to relieve these children by way of maintenance owed to their mothers, grinds so very slowly, or not at all. It is shameful that this ineffective mechanism appears to punish the victims while giving ease and comfort to these deadbeat fathers. Many of us will have a merry Christmas, but these deadbeat fathers and slow-moving procedural mechanisms will ensure that many of these children will have no Christmas at all.”

In July, a one-day consultation was held to discuss an OECS Draft Family Model Bill, related to the Maintenance of children and procedures which the Court could adopt when making Maintenance Orders.

Consultation on the OECS Draft Family Model Bills is part of the process leading to the enactment of the Family Bills.

The present Maintenance Act provides for the Maintenance of certain classes of persons including children and adults. The present Bill is specific to children and proposes that each parent has an obligation to provide reasonably for the maintenance of children.

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38 Comments

  1. OBSERVER
    December 31, 2016

    correction it should be none instead of now

  2. OBSERVER
    December 31, 2016

    it is not only now working fathers who do not support their children, those in big jobs in society like inspector of police at the DPP do not like to maintain his children and he should be the one to set the example. Therefore I agree with Mrs. Knight. Happy New Year to all

  3. Denis Cooke
    December 31, 2016

    Those who have ears let them hear. This statement, although very true, is a discriminatory and sexist one.
    It addresses only fathers, while there are many single family homes today where the father is the head of the household, and many cases where the mothers are doing so many things which prevent some fathers from doing all they can for their children, monetary and otherwise.
    So while I support what she said about deadbeat fathers, she should indeed edit this statement to add mothers who are not responsible, and publish the edited version. This is the only responsible thing to do as the Speaker of the house, having access to the media who can publish the edited statement.
    After this is done, dialogue should begin as to how we remedy this situation. People of the speaker’s political, social and economic stature cannot continue to make such statements at opportune times, and then walk away and do nothing to help fix the situation for this brings their motives into question.

  4. The Darkness
    December 30, 2016

    What about dead beat moms?

    They do exist and the mal-effects are worse…

    Just saying

  5. Marvlyn
    December 30, 2016

    FATHERS and MOTHERS have to make responsible decisions and don’t let a night of pleasure bring you years of pain.

    Fathers also need to remember that on day his SON will follow his EXAMPLE instead of his advice!!!!!!!!

    MOTHERS, don’t wait for the father/dad to do anything handle your business.

    From one STRONG BLACK SINGLE MOTHER, TO ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!!

  6. Love
    December 30, 2016

    Women, before we make child with them we KNOW what they gonna give. It cannot be all their fault. Choose wisely who you going to make impregnate you!

  7. December 30, 2016

    You are in government, you are the lawmakers, you know who the deadbeat fathers, you and Tony have the answers, go after the deadbeats, You see Ms Knights the government does not owe its citizenry a government job but create an atmosphere to see that a citizen has a job Ma Knight take a look at your bloated cabinet.

  8. ti nom
    December 29, 2016

    i am disappointed such a sexist statement comes from our speaker of the house. what about deadbeat mothers? ms speaker it is important to treat everyone equally, to me this statement is letting the deadbeat mothers off the hook. :(

    • viewsexpressed
      December 30, 2016

      True…..please do not take this Speaker seriously, she just gave self opportunity to be heard because no one takes her seriously in the House, where she may have more power and influence. But he kind and character is not liked, very politically devious.

    • The Truth Be Told
      December 30, 2016

      Generally, it is whoever makes the most money who pays support; at least most of it.
      Both parents must bear their responsibility to their child/children.

  9. Jack man
    December 29, 2016

    Me too… and i condem them the same way i condem dead beat parliament speakers… they r a complete waste

  10. Papa Noel
    December 29, 2016

    The next thing I want the PM to do is to allow two kids per family, this may ease the squeeze. The people who are less fortunate, are the ones bringing these children into the world to suffer and expect the pm to provide food clothing and shelter for them. Christmas is over people, Santa has left.

    • viewsexpressed
      December 30, 2016

      Rubbish. How many children in your family? If more than two, would you say that you or one of the siblings should not have been born.?? Think before you baffle about.

      • Mango dou
        December 30, 2016

        Yes, some children would be better off without suffering or become a burden if they were not born. Religious people say a child is a gift from God. that is true but it is also a responsibility from that same God. That is the part some of us conveniently forget.

    • Anonymous
      December 30, 2016

      The P.M. not stupid, every dependent child is a potential voter for him and the single mothers also and the catholic church supporting him in that. We should allow abortion as a basic right.

  11. December 29, 2016

    If the fathers are employed a salary deduction order from their employer directly from their wages/ salaries to support the child or children .

    • lmckoy
      December 31, 2016

      Cant trust anyone, some people are cunning – get DNA results first.

  12. anonymous2
    December 29, 2016

    There are certainly no shortage of them but there certainly is a shortage of jobs to which to send them and make them responsible for the children that that are responsible for bringing into this world.

  13. Canawie
    December 29, 2016

    Alix Boyd Knight has no morale responsibility to speak on any morale issue in Dominica. Alix Boyd Knight in my opinion is a disgrace to women and to society at large. I have seen this woman abuse her authority in stopping a feast in Trafalgar. This woman is an embarrassment to society. Her behavior and attitude is just deplorable and the worst example to society. You need to find God. And by the way I’m a laborite I just call it as I see it

    • viewsexpressed
      December 30, 2016

      Amen, you have our full support. !!!!! Thanks

  14. Truth sayer
    December 29, 2016

    If you’re going to point fingers at dead beat fathers, point them also as baby mamas who have had children to trap men financially and emotionally. In some of the cases of ‘dead beat fathers’ the man is just refusing to be dictated to on how to spend his time and his money by some woman who lied about taking contraceptive pill.

  15. Dear Madam Speaker; it is not my intention to get too political about this, nor do I intend to contradict you in anyway, because I am one of those people who knows how hard it is for a mother to give birth to a child, and raise that child without a fathers help.

    I am one who suffered that fate! I can count on one hand all that I ever got from my father, including the last beating I suffered at his hands.

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

    Seriously now Madam Speaker, I do not believe anybody: and I will use the words of one of my biological brothers who told a judge in New Jersey, or Texas, in regards to child support “do you expect me to get blood out of stone?”

    The reality is this in Dominica both and women have a hard time making a living, we lack employment, because there are no Jobs, how can a man though it is his responsibility to fend for his child do so when there are no industries in the country from which he can get a job? That is the problem!

    Happy…

    • Happy New year, I wish you all the best in 2017, and I plea with you to be lenient with my cousin Lennox, and the rest of the opposition; don’t demolish the opposition next year.

  16. JBaptiste
    December 29, 2016

    Everybody in the entire world would condemn dead beat fathers except dead beat fathers. So stop cherry picking issues and condemn them all or shut up. Now go have a salad.

  17. viewsexpressed
    December 29, 2016

    Ma Knight, these fathers do not have jobs, the jobs are all taken by the likes of a very big and incompetent cabinet, a failed PM, a rough Speaker of the House and endless, mindless ambassadors in Dominica and elsewhere. Get you facts right before you open your mouth and talk bull
    Go away please, leave us alone, You do not represent us. You are a disgrace and a disappointment.
    Go tell your paymaster to get employment for these fathers. Your corrupt Labour government has impoverished Dominica now his Cinderella wife want to come give our children fast food burgers to get fat, obese and overnight like a Dark Knight in the night on a sick horse.
    Please do not speak on our behalf, .

    • Truth
      December 29, 2016

      Only a dead beat will react like that .There are a lot of working fathers who do not support their children,We should publish their names!!!!!

      • Patience
        December 29, 2016

        Truth i support u a hundred percent like my child’s dad all he says my child things are bad with daddy but he has how many women maintaing other child thats not his wicked soul

      • Concern citizen
        December 29, 2016

        The contributor is right on target, what is ma knight doing there as madam speaker at that age, she is only there to do SKERRIT dirty work for him,
        I am a former employee of the pwd who has fallen sick, after having fired by ur. master SKERRIT, he did not pay my social security after deducting it from my salary, and still don’t pay me redundancy, I am ill with diabetes my family is suffering because of that, where in heaven am I going to get money to do those things that U are supporting ma knight to say?

    • Jay
      December 29, 2016

      Why can’t the unemployed take the initiative. No where in this God given world, can a gov’t employ everyone. The foreigners who are on the island are making it, and are also sending dineros to their families. Just WHY can’t the people who are unemployed make it too.
      I’m sure that the children won’t be forced to eat the meals provided, therefore,parents like you who do not want their children fed can notify the school office (problem solved).
      Happy New Year.

    • Andrea
      December 29, 2016

      There are plenty of Dominican men with jobs that do not provide for their children. And if they know they cannot afford a child they should at least spend out on condoms. Dominican men are an absolute disgrace.

    • Me
      December 29, 2016

      You are no better than her in your attempts to insult and belittle.

  18. freegid tree
    December 29, 2016

    Give them work to support their family and stop being a hypocrite . :twisted:

  19. Mother
    December 29, 2016

    Madame Speaker, welcome back, trust you did some pleasurable Christmas shopping in London with your minder.
    Don’t forget it takes two to make a child and unless someone gets pregnant trough rape the mother is equally responsible for rearing the child and the majority of us make a good job of it. My advice as always, if you are incapable of looking after a child, don’t have it. Period! Single parenthood is not a glamour status and the right to have a child is outweighed by the obligation to care for it, always. no child asks to be born, it is your decision.

  20. As if
    December 29, 2016

    Stupes. There should be a way to monitor what is done with the maintenance cuz alot of those “great” mothers just waiting on the “maintenance” to go get their nails and hair done. I know what I’m talking about My sister is prime example; she claims my nieces always need things as soon as their father gives her money she spends it on herself. When he wants to see his children it’s an issue cuz she doesn’t want them around his girlfriend but it’s ok she can have them around her men. I’ve spoken to her numerous times about her stink attitude and told her in the end it’s the children that suffer. We didn’t grow up with our father because of my mother’s attitude and to this day i resent my mother for that.

    • nicole
      December 30, 2016

      I agree with most of what you said. Women do sometimes take advantage of the child support agreement. But when all is said and done, the man has a responsibility to help the mothers take care of the kids they created TOGETHER.

      And about the woman trying to prevent a man from seeing his kids story, while some women indeed do that, there are courses of action that the men can take if the REALLY want to see their kids.

      The sad fact is that many parents just do not take their parenting responsibilities seriously. I agree with some comments for this article: if you are not willing to do what it takes to raise a kid, DON’T HAVE THEM. I myself don’t have kids and I will never have them; because while I think that children are great, I just don’t have the desire to sacrifice that much for kids.

  21. Pemie
    December 29, 2016

    To me a dead beat father is a mother who keeps the child from seeing their father. For whatever reasons the mother takes joy in not letting the father have access to the child.

  22. The One
    December 29, 2016

    What traditions? The sooner ppl realize and accept the fact that these so-traditions are pagan and that good should not only be done once a year,but year round, then the hypocrisy of some people will be exposed. Alix always takes on the theme as a champion for underprivileged children and women, but it is these same women and young girls engaging in unprotected and premarital sex that have to end up having abortions in our society. Alix never advocates against abortion as a crime against humanity….why? It’s not just men who are perpetrators of the ills in the society. The economy is not what it used to be…and unlike the astronomical raise in pay that this woman was given by Skerrot, many ppl, men and women alike suffering from an economic slowdown. No politician except Lennox has spoken about increasing the minimum wage. If you so caring and considerate, campaign for once impartially for the poor ppl who are being forced by this same legal system to run to the underground economy.

  23. Just saying
    December 29, 2016

    That’s why the smart men have their kids with diasporas thereby they are not worried of child maintenance……

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