Press Release

 

Reports of CSA to be Scrapped 

 

'We told you so!’ was the comment of FNF Chair John Baker in response to reports that the CSA is to be scrapped and replaced by something much smaller, concentrating on extracting payments from a small number of 'hard cases'.

We wait to see the detail and whether the reports are true.

However, a change of tack is most welcome.

The CSA exists on the assumption that one parent does all the caring and incurs all the cost, and the other has no responsibility except to finance this arrangement. This is an outdated supposition. Both parents should care for their children, and both parents should earn to provide for them. The closer parents get to equality in both caring and earning, the smaller the role of the CSA needs to be.

The emphasis of the government needs to shift and this may be a sign of it.

Parents who live apart need to be helped to come to child centred arrangements for their children, firstly to provide them with shared parenting and secondly to ensure that the money is shared fairly.

Sharing the parenting task is the most important, not only for the children's welfare, but for their economic situation. With shared parenting, both parents can earn and both parents share the costs. Child poverty will fall. All the problems associated with children getting insufficient time from both their parent will diminish. The money needing to change hands between the parents will be less, and there will be a reduction in resistance to paying it.

The CSA will then be able to concentrate on the small minority of parents who really are irresponsible.

Shared parenting is what most children want, what most fathers want and what most mothers want.

The CSA has got in the way of this. If the reports reflect more 'joined up thinking' about state policy towards divided families, that is most welcome.

 

 

 

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Families Need Fathers(FNF) is a registered charity providing information and support on shared parenting issues arising from family breakdown, and support to divorced and separated parents, irrespective of gender or marital status. Our primary concern is the maintenance of the child’s relationship with both parents. Founded in 1975, FNF helps thousands of parents every year.

 

 

Please see Families Need Fathers ‘programme for change’ Father’s Day Manifesto