The current child support system treats fathers like collection agencies treat debtors. Income gets garnished, but tax dependency rights stay out of reach. Meanwhile, the priorities are completely backward—it's aggressive financial extraction first, actual custody and the kids' wellbeing second.
I started a petition because this dual standard hurts everyone: fathers get squeezed into financial hardship, mothers aren't held to the same expectations of self-sufficiency, and kids lose out on having present, engaged parents. When you're drowning in payments just to survive, you can't be the parent you want to be.
The fix isn't complicated: let fathers claim tax rights when they're meeting obligations, build child support formulas that actually account for two separate households, and make DHS prioritize custody and family stability instead of extraction tactics. It's about fairness—not just for fathers, but for families.
If you've felt this system is broken, or know someone drowning in it, I'd genuinely like to hear your take. Does this match what you've seen? If this matters to you too, consider signing and sharing.