The Centre for Separated Families

PRESS RELEASE

03.07.11 – For immediate release

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Committee's proposals will set family policy back decades

Responding to the Work and Pensions Committee's report into proposed reforms of child maintenance, Nick Woodall of the Centre for Separated Families said:

'I find the Committee's recommendations, quite frankly, bewildering. Rather than focussing on the Government's bold and progressive reforms, it has chosen to bring forward its own recommendations that will create more animosity between separating parents and increase bureaucracy in the system.'

'Once again, we have a situation where a influential body has ignored the evidence and, instead, relied on the common misconception that the problems around child maintenance begin and end with fathers refusing to make payments to mothers.'

'The reality is that in only 17% of cases does a parent refuse to make payments. In twice as many cases, 33%, the reason that there is no maintenance arrangement in place is because the parent with main day-to-day care for the children refuses to have anything to do with the other parent.'

'The Henshaw Report of 2006, the biggest ever review of child maintenance, showed quite clearly that child maintenance arrangements work better and last longer when parents make their own private arrangements. Now, we've got the Work and Pensions Committee proposing that the state should interfere into families' private lives irrespective of how well maintenance their arrangements are working.'

'This Government has brought forward the most forward thinking proposals for a generation. It wants to increase the number of parents who are taking responsibility for their children's well being, support families and help them to build collaborative parenting relationships after separation. The Committee's recommendations would see the UK taking a massive backwards step'

'We strongly urge the Government to reject this report and continue to develop the kind of family orientated reforms that will help children adjust to the transitions that divorce or separation brings.'

Ends.

Notes to the editor:

Work and Pensions Committee report on child maintenance reforms

The Centre for Separated Families provided both written and oral evidence to the Committee.

The Centre for Separated Families is a national charity working with and on behalf of families experiencing divorce and separation in order to bring better outcomes for children.

The Centre offers information, support and advice to mothers and fathers, whatever their parenting status, and has a range of innovative education programmes to support co-operative parenting.

The Centre for Separated Families works with Government and other agencies to help deliver best practice in services delivered to separated families.

The Centre has a research programme and aims to inform and influence public policy through this and its direct work with families.

The Centre for Separated Families worked with the Department for Work and Pensions in helping to create the Child Maintenance Options service. www.cmoptions.org

The Centre co-ordinates the European Network on Shared Parenthood.

Further information: 07810 482 088