Argumentative speech on why parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent. Topic: Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent. General Purpose: To argue Specific purpose: To argue that parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent. Thesis: Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental disputes, misuse of funds, and parental maltreatment.
1. Introduction a) Attention Getters/ Orienting Material 1. I recall my first job. It was at a skate rink and I was so excited to earn my own money. 2. I was about 14 years old and it was on a Friday night when I received my first paycheck. I had worked a total of 45 hours. So, I did the math in my head: 45 hours x 5.25. I should have exactly 236.25.3. I left work without opening my paycheck because I had to hurry home. On my way home, I thought about all the things I would buy with my money I was going to pay my cell phone bill, buy some shoes and a fly outfit for the next Friday Night Skate Night. Excited about the things I would buy, I opened my check. 4.I was mortified at what I saw! I was so upset. Not only did I not get my 236.25, Social Security, Medicaid, and Federal took my money! I didn’t authorize them to take my money! I questioned why did they do this to me? b) Motivational material
1. As I got older and got a better understanding of withholdings and taxes. Still to this day, I question where does my money go as I pay these withholdings. I know I am told where my money is being spent but can I see the receipts? Can the government provide me with verification on how my tax dollars were spent? 2. What If the government told you, “No, I do not have to tell you how I spend your money.”? “I don’t have to tell you who benefits from your money. Just pay it and if you don’t, you’d be in trouble.”? 3. Would you question the government? Would you be upset? What would you do? It’s you against the government. 4. These same questions are asked by a parent who must pay a child support order. Is the money really being spend on the child or children? Should the payee provide receipts on where the child support is being spend? 5. Today, I will argue that Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental disputes, misuse of funds, and parental maltreatment. c) Preview
1.First, I will argue Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental disputes 2. Secondly, I will argue, Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate misuse of funds 3. Finally, I will argue Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental maltreatment II. Body a) Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate misuse of funds 1) Per the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), states collected $32 billion dollars on behalf of the 16.3 million children served by child support enforcement programs across the country during 2014. A. Ohio has over 875,000 child support orders with an estimated 1.7 billion distributed to families.
B. Ohio is also one of the top 20 states that has the largest payment arrears of about 5 billion. 2) Noncustodial parents, the parent who lives outside the home, has an obligation to pay his or her child support order. My argument is not to say parents should not pay child support but that it should be monitored to ensure the custodial parent is not misusing the funds. 3) The custodial parent can misuse the funds in several ways. A. Buying recreation or illegal drugs B. Buying alcohol or tobacco based items C. Taking personal extravagant trips and vacations (excluding the children from the vacation) D. Gambling 4) Producing receipts is easy in this cashless society. Just look at the credit cards and the automatic payments from a bank. There is no excuse not to produce receipts. 5) According to divorcecorp.com, 85 % of people voted that a parent who is receiving child support produces receipts verifying expenditures for the child.
6) It is not okay to spend money intended to benefit the welfare of the child or children on drugs, drinking or buying expensive person items such as hair extensions. This type of spending should be monitored and eliminated If the courts were to see a parent using child support to go to the casino, I don’t believe this behavior would continue. 7) If parents were held accountable to prove that the child support provided was spend directly to benefit the child, this would eliminate parental maltreatment which is my second argument. . b) Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental maltreatment
1. What is parental maltreatment? Parental maltreatment is neglect. Child abuse and neglect is any act by a parent that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. 2. Would you agree that not providing a child a proper home or clothes is parental maltreatment? Would it be a bigger issue if the custodial parent receives child support payments but has failed to support the child? 3. Thave firsthand knowledge of mothers who are on child support but do not utilize the funds to benefit the child. I interviewed Kiara ), who at the last minute requested for me to not use her full name or video do fears that she would face sanction of her child support.
4. As you can see in our text conversations, she openly admits that she does this malicious act. She does not care because her children’s father cannot afford to take her to court to prove she is mistreating her children. 5. This is just one example of many where the custodial parent has failed to provide life’s necessities to a child. 6. Nevertheless, the noncustodial payment has the burden of proving that the custodial parent is not only misapplying the funds but also proving that its effecting the child. 7. Why is there no accountability for child support payments? If the custodial parent was court ordered to provide verification of consistent receipts showing that the payments were used to benefit the child, would this not stop parental disputes? c) Parents with a child support order should provide verification on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental disputes
1. How could providing child support receipts eliminate parental disputes? You would think that the custodial parent would be upset that they need to verify their spending. It’s almost like a slap in the face that you are told how and what to do with your child support payment. 2. Per US News, money is the number one reason why people fight. “People should expect to fight about finances,” Puhn says. “It’s a part of any marriage and any long-term relationship. You will fight about finances.” 3. However, if you look at it in another view, it could be beneficial to both parents as well as the child. You are proving that you are not mismanaging the funds provided by the non-custodial parent. This could elevate many disputes that the mother is irresponsible and that the payments should be reduced. a. Showing receipts shows that you are using the funds appropriately and what’s provided in the court order may not be enough b. Verifies that the child is being taken cared for financial and could cease further court hearings or attempts to prove otherwise.
4. Non-custodial parents go through a similar procedure when they must provide proof of income. In Ohio, the not custodial parent must provide all provides of in the following ways: personal earnings, private or governmental retirement benefits, insurance proceeds and even lottery prize awards. This is mandatory in the state of Ohio. 5. Just knowing where your money is going will elevate the stress of coparenting as well. It shows that both parents are being responsible and are ensuring that the child or children are benefiting from less tension between the two.
III. Conclusion A) Summary 1. Parents with a child support order should provide receipts on how the child support was spent to eliminate misuse of funds and provide verification that all allocated funds are used only for the sole purpose of benefiting the child. 2.Parents with a child support order should provide receipts on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental maltreatment and mistreatment to the child. 3. Parents with a child support order should provide receipts on how the child support was spent to eliminate parental disputes and establish a healthy co-parenting relationship. B) Final remarks 1. As I stated earlier, I am not here to argue about child support orders. I am here to argue that these funds should be monitored. It is not fair to the child nor is to fair to the noncustodiall parent.
2. It is not fair to see a child have less than solely based on the actions of a selfish parent. It is not fair that someone can but cigarettes and beer with a child support but do not have to explain why this was purchased 3. Child support was created in the 1970’s so that fathers would not put a burden on the community for failure to support his family. I understand that child support orders should be in place. There is no dispute about this. However, like all government funded agencies, this needs to be monitored and reformed. The ultimately goal is to have the child’s best interest at heart. 4. There are many petitions that are coming into play so that people can understand why receipts should be shown. It is not to demonize the custodial parent to reassure that the child’s best interest has been made.