Child support enforcement not working for many, says advocate

A group of NovaScotiansis trying to improve child support enforcement withinNovaScotia'sMaintenance Enforcement Program.

The MEP is set up to help single parents collect child support from their ex-spouses.

But the group say it's not working for them.

Gwen Williams is one of the members of this new organization. Seventeen years ago, she was enrolled in maintenance enforcement.

"I had a lot of hard times with it they didn't enforce my orders, my payor wasn't paying and I wasn't getting anywhere with them," she says.

Back then, she promised herself she would try to improve the system someday. Now, with her children grown, that day has come.

Even though it's almost two decades later, she says maintenance enforcement is still not working for many.

Nearly $70 million owed to single parents

There are almost 15,000 single parents enrolled in the MEP.

The justice department says 63 per cent of former spouses are making their payments, but those who aren't are almost $70 million in arrears.

Williams says the legislation needs to be changed.

"Maintenance enforcement does all the legwork and investigating and finding out why these payors are not paying and they don't have the resources to do that," she said.

Duncan Wetzel, a single dad with two daughters at home, knows all about that. He's the founder of the new group.

He says since 2011, he's only received four payments from his former spouse and is owed about $40,000 dollars. He works two jobs to make ends meet but says some people just give up.

"It becomes a struggle, a financial struggle, and eventually you feel that toll on your shoulder and you just go, it would be easier to be on social services," he says.

Both Williams and Wetzel say the government needs to use the tools it has to enforce payments tools like garnishing wages, taking away drivers licences and putting liens on property.

The justice department is currently reviewing the MEP with an eye to improving it. That report is expected next month.