Things may have changed since Vince wrote this in 1994, but the system continues to drive families apart.

First, in any family breakup situation in which a child is involved, the child is placed with the parent or person who is less well off economically, thus placing that child at an economic disadvantage. Why? Because the one who makes more money will end up paying the greater amount of child support collection dollars.

There is a Federal law (42 USC 658) that gives states a six to ten percent commission (incentive, bonus, call it what you will) on every dollar that is collected through the state's child support collection system. So, "in the compelling interest of government," the State's financial interests takes precedence over the best interest of the child.

To increase its bonus dollars, the state of Washington passed a law in 1992 -- RCW 26.23.050 (4)(A) -- to require that all child support payments should be paid directly through the state child support register. The support money that is paid through this system sits in the state accounts for at least ten days where the State collects interest on it while the receiving parent waits for the money. The paying parent has no option in this matter and he or she will be compelled to pay again through the state system if they make any direct support payments to the custodial parent.

Any amount that is paid directly by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent or to the child, is considered a gift by the courts, thus guaranteeing the State's commission income. The county will put the paying parent in jail for directly supporting their children if they refuse to pay again through the state child support register.

Child Support Pimp
When anyone, or any organization takes a cut for collecting money on behalf of another person for past and or future sexual activity, that is called pimping, and it's illegal. So in effect, the state of Washington has a pimp called the Support Enforcement Agency, and the Federal government is sanctioning this with our tax dollars. (Just call Uncle Sam "madam"?)

When anyone is compensated for past or future sexual activity, that is called prostitution, and it is illegal. A custodial parent who receives "child support" moneys without accounting for how all those funds are used for the direct benefit of the child or children, is guilty of negligence at best, and at worst a cover up of using those funds for his or her own personal benefit. In a word, that's prostitution.

Last I heard, frustrated with the family court system, Vince went back to Africa. He was an articulate and intelligent man, and Africa's gain was America's loss.