Did you know that August is Child Support Awareness Month in California? If you pay child support, knowing this can be crucial, particularly if you are struggling to keep up with your financial obligations.
During the month of August, the Child Support Awareness Month campaign will reinforce one message in particular to parents across the state: “They Don’t Need Perfect, They Just Need You.” With that in mind, we want to discuss a few important things parents can do this month to tackle legal issues and improve relationships with their children.
- Don’t minimize your financial contribution. Child support is vital to children’s lives because it helps to ensure they have the things they need, from living essentials to entertainment. It also shows that you are contributing, even if you don’t have as much parenting time as you or your child would like. Minimizing this contribution and assuming it doesn’t matter can therefore be a mistake, especially if this assumption leads to you stop paying support.
- Remember that money isn’t the only way to support your child. No matter how much you might be paying in child support, remember that there is more to raising a child than money. Showing up to their soccer games, checking in with them after a test and sending a card on special occasions can also be ways to connect with and support your children.
- If you are struggling, get help as soon as possible. If you are behind on payments or you have been making irregular, partial payments, asking for help this month can be crucial in getting back on track and avoiding serious consequences. There are tools to help you address past-due balances and even improve your financial situation. You can also get help to modify a child support order if your existing one is no longer reflective of your current circumstances.
No parent is perfect; everyone struggles in different ways. If you are struggling with child support payments, then there may be no better time to address them than this month.