What About Me? The 17 Million Children in Child Support

What About Me? The 17 Million Children in Child Support encourages child support practitioners and parents to collaborate for the sake of their child. Nearly 17 million children in the U.S., one in four, receive child support services. With the rise in single parenting and associated negative child outcomes, the child support program has developed the authority, programs, and services that can support co-parents' efforts to collaborate and improve child outcomes. What About Me? provides tips to practitioners and encourages parents to take responsibility for the gaps in their situation and relationships and utilize child support's authority and resources to improve child outcomes. Shortly after I became a statewide child support director, my office received a call from a local police officer requesting a file for an active child support case. It contained evidence of a fierce child support and custody battle between the co-parents. The father had just shot and killed the mother of their child before turning the gun on himself in the parking lot of their child’s day care. Instantly, the child became an orphan as she played safely inside. This book is intended to help parents and practitioners avoid the stress of participating in the child support system—not their responsibility to their child.