PROPOSALS to radically reform the child support system have been welcomed by the boss of a shared parenting charity.
Colin Brealey, chairman of the Burton branch of Families Need Fathers, spoke after ministers announced plans to overhaul a framework they claim strains the relationship between parents and their offspring too often.
Under the proposals, which are subject to consultation, separating couples would be encouraged to act in the interests of their children by exploring all options to reach a settlement before going to court.
However, if they failed and opted for statutory help they would be required to pay a one-off application fee of £100 for the employed, £50 for those on benefits and £20 for those in greatest need.
Mr Brealey said: "We welcome this positive step to look holistically at the way parents can work together to best support their children emotionally but also financially.
"For the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission to consider charging for services, then the quality and the value for money has to be considerably improved.
"We believe that many of the proposals would achieve that and we are glad, specifically, that denial of contact and child maintenance will be looked at together." Ministers hope their proposals will overhaul a system which has drawn flak for inefficiency and failing to support parents in most need.
Maintenance payments from non-resident parents are said to be £4 billion in arrears, while fewer than half of the 3.5 million children whose parents are separated are believed to be adequately supported.
Under the more eye-catching elements of the shake-up, parents would get free advice from voluntary and charitable bodies before deciding whether or not to reach an independent settlement or use the statutory service.
The role of Child Maintenance Options, which advises separating and separated couples, would also be extended as part of a push to foster greater parental responsibility.
Efforts to provide more counselling on relationship and financial matters would also be included.
Mr Brealey, who also sits on the Derby Family Justice Council, said: "We hope the headlines around charging for services won’t disguise positive reforms to encourage shared parenting.
"The most important thing is that children are supported both emotionally and financially, which can happen more if both parents work together." The Government has insisted the changes are motivated by child welfare and not the need to trim the public sector budget.
