Republican state Senator Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin has introduced a bill that would amend existing law by “requiring the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board to emphasize non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.”
The bill would also require that public awareness campaigns emphasizing that not being married (and having children) is abusive and neglectful of children. Another goal of the bill would state that a father being involved is the primary preventer of child abuse and neglect. Not surprisingly, this proposed bill has angered many Wisconsin parents.
The language of the bill puts the onus on the mothers by pointing out their ‘unmarried status’. Another aspect of the bill that has angered people is the fact that Grothman is neither married nor has children.
Obviously single parenting should not be aligned or associated with child abuse. The wording in Grothman’s proposed bill is too broad and doesn’t take into account widows, infidelity or other circumstances that may lead to single parenting. It presumes that all single parents were irresponsible breeders who merely wanted a child for reasons unknown.
The wording in Grothman’s bill is sloppy, but the goal of his bill is noble. I assume that he’s trying to legislate something against deadbeat dads that don’t stick around once the baby is born. Costa Rica is way ahead of the U.S. in this department.
The legislation is the first in the world and lets the mother identify the father of the children, thus placing his name on the child as well. This makes the father financially responsible for the child until they are 18 or until they are 25 if they continue their schooling. The Responsible Fatherhood Act mandates genetic testing, so if the father is denying responsibility then the courts will hold him responsible.
The results of the law are impressive. In 1999 the percentage of deadbeat dads in Costa Rica was 29.3% and in 2003, just two years after the law passed it was 7.8%. If the mother chooses not to identify the father that is her prerogative, at that point she would waive any financial payments from the father though.
Shockingly, just after the law passed condom sales increased dramatically in Costa Rica.
What’s the lesson that Costa Rica is teaching us here? If you hold people financially and socially accountable for their actions they will alter their behavior.
The odds on a bill similar to The Responsible Fatherhood Act getting passed anyplace else are slim at best. Politicians would pay the concept of being a responsible dad lip service, but would be too scared of angering voters or special interest groups.
I’m not one for more laws, but this one I could warm up too. It holds people accountable for their actions and would severely decrease the number of deadbeat dads. Keeping more guys around to actually be fathers would help millions of kids and keep the family unit tight.
What are your thoughts on the proposed bill in Wisconsin or the Responsible Fatherhood Act in Costa Rica?
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Love it. I have land in Costa Rica…maybe I should go live there?
Land in Costa Rica and you’re going Heli Skiing? Very cool and I do like that law, punish the wallet and you alter the habits.
I am originally from Panama (country right next to Costa Rica) and Panama did copy this legislation precisely because it was so succesful in Costa Rica. The law has been enforced strictly in Panama jsut for a couple of years and has been highly succesful and the number of deadbeat dads has been also reduced. I think that what our Senators need to do is learn from these countries and go after the deadbeats instead of demonizing women who are just trying to do their best.
Testify. That is very well put. While I hope that legislators in the U.S. would have the strength to do this I know that both parties wouldn’t have the strength to do what is right.