Deadbeat Dads

Recently, many political voices have indicated a strong desire to track down absent fathers who have absconded without fulfilling child support obligations to their biological or adopted children. This renewed interest in deadbeat dads has resulted from a recognition that the social welfare programs, which pick up the tab for abandoned children, are contributing significantly to an ever-increasing federal budget deficit. Meanwhile, in a large number of cases, there simply isn't enough money for an absent parent to maintain his own separate support and fulfill the support obligations that the law requires. This book explores the history, reforms, and consequences of child support in America. The authors have included case studies as well as discussions on the psychological consequences of separating families, effects of divorce laws on the award of child support, contested paternity, and child custody alternatives. They conclude with a discussion on economic responsibility and the deadbeat epidemic. The book is intended to empower the larger number of parents who are caught in the midst of overworked agencies, discouraging tales, and the lack of information that keeps them paralyzed from acting on their own behalf.

MARCIA MOBILIA BOUMIL is a faculty member of the School of Medicine, Tufts University. Boumil is the author of numerous articles and books including Law, Ethics and Reproductive Choice (1994) and with Joel Friedman Betrayal of Trust (Praeger, 1995).

JOEL FRIEDMAN is a licensed psychologist who has served for the past 20 years on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School. He is author and coauthor of several books including Betrayal of Trust, with Boumil (Praeger, 1995).