Summary Assignment on Paying for Children of Divorce

Source Summary Prewriting

Theme: Divorce, Child Support, Single-parent families

Topic: Government gets tough on parents who fail to pay child support

Title: Paying for the Children of Divorce. The title suggests that the costs of raising children of divorce whose parents fail to pay their child support end up being shouldered by society, not to mention the emotional toll placed on the children themselves.

Intended audience: The intended audiences are socially and politically aware, financially stable adults with children, or anyone who is interested in finding solutions to social problems.

Writer background: Although the article does not cover this, but a Google search revealed she is a frequent contributor to Maclean’s, the magazine that published this article.

Writer’s angle: The topic presents an arguable claim, because any debate involving the needs of the many being supported by the few sparks controversy and leads to great differences of opinion. Any sensible person would agree no innocent child should go without the basic necessities, but at the same time no one wants to be held responsible for the costs of raising other people’s children. Either way children lose.

Part 1: The one-sentence summary

Chisholm, (1994) frequent contributor to Canada’s Maclean’s magazine, presents several case studies illustrating the widespread failure of parents to pay child support, and the controversial government regulations that sometimes hinder rather than help parents’ abilities to pay.

Part 2: The one-paragraph summary

Chisholm, (1994) frequent contributor to Canada’s Maclean’s magazine, presents several case studies illustrating the widespread failure of parents to pay child support, and describes how the cost of raising their children ends up being paid by social welfare. To shift the financial burden back to the parents, some Canadian provinces have gotten stricter on child support regulations forcing defaulting parents to pay, and the courts are often biased toward the mother. As well-intentioned as the regulations are, forcing them to pay beyond what they can afford, or favoring one parent over the other can create a cycle of failure and resentment.

Part 3: The multiple-paragraph summary

Chisholm, (1994) frequent contributor to Canada’s Maclean’s magazine, uses several case studies to illuminate the widespread problem of parents failing to pay child support, the resultant burden on the “public purse,” and the “tangled web of demand, defiance, and forced compliance.” (36) She notes how the cost of raising their children ends up being paid by social welfare, and in an effort to shift the financial burden back to the parents; some Canadian provinces have gotten stricter on child support regulations forcing defaulting parents to pay.

For decades, 50-75% of court ordered child support payments remain unpaid. (36) Mothers claim the awards are not enough, and fathers argue the courts are biased toward vindictive mothers who withhold or greatly limit visitation rights to their children. Parents are unable to reconcile their differences, leading to further resentment and court mediation, rarely in the best interests of everyone involved. As well-intentioned as the regulations are, forcing them to pay beyond what they can afford can create a cycle of failure, and exacerbate the already bad situations for children involved in their parents’ messy divorces.

The article points out that the courts often fail to take all circumstances into account when awarding payments, and should be based upon ability to pay. A parent ordered to pay more for child support than for an entire month’s rent makes it difficult to provide a nurturing environment for a child. Chisholm admits that there is no way to completely avoid the anger and resentment associated with court-ordered child support, but acknowledging the social problem it creates when disputing parents fail to compromise and learning to understand each other’s perspectives will lead to healthier family situations and lessen the impact of divorce on children.

Part 4: Your reaction

Chisholm presents many valid reasons why the regulations for child support should be revisited, taking into account all different facets of the complicated issue, and not continuing to follow the same pattern of injustice. Divorce is an unhappy reality, but Chisholm is right to suggest that by parents putting the needs and wellbeing of their children before their own sense of anger and frustration, and being willing to cooperate and compromise, they can still provide healthy and nurturing environments for their children. A small sense of balance can be restored little by little, not only to broken families, but also, by extension, to society.

Reference

Chisholm, P. (1994). Paying for the children of divorce. Maclean’s. 107.2: 36-37