Senators Commend Acting AG For Strong Stance Against Deadbeat Dads

ST. THOMAS — Acting Attorney General Claude E. Walker received high marks today from senators who lauded the AG for his strong stance against parents — mostly fathers in the Virgin Islands — who neglect their lawful and ethical responsibility of supporting their children.

On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice held a press conference on this island to announce what it’s calling “Operation Support Our Children”, an initiative that seeks to collect more than $29 million in child support payments owed by delinquent parents, 99 percent of them fathers.

“Unfortunately in the Virgin Islands each year, the total amount owed by parents with delinquent child support accounts continues to grow to the point where drastic action must be taken by the department of justice to address this problem,” Walker said at the press conference, adding that DOJ has direct oversight responsibilities for the Paternity and Child Support Division (PCSD).

At the Comittee on Rules and Judiciary hearing held at the Earl B. Ottley Legislative Hall here, senators echoed each other in voicing their support for Walker’s uncompromising move.

“I support you on your very strong efforts on paternity,” Senator Janette Milling Young, vice chair of the committee, said. Millin Young said while it’s important that parents support their children, another important issue that she contends is rarely factored in when parents neglect their duties, is the negative impact to the economy.

“I think that people lose sight of that it’s about the economy as well,” she said. “When we look at the fact that most households in the Virgin Islands are led by women; and you hear people say, ‘they getting by; she’s only going to use the money to do whatever,’ it’s not your problem.”

Millin Young added: “To every single parent, whether man or woman, the minute you put something in your mouth to eat, you should always remember [that] your child has to eat. And whenever you turn off the lights at the end of the day to go to sleep, you also have to remember that your child needs  shelter as well. And for mothers all over the territory who have to seek a welfare check or family support, it’s our economy that’s interrupted by deadbeats. So you have a great support in me in those efforts.”

Senator Kurt Vialet also hailed Walker’s action as moving in the right direction. He said the notion that fathers could bare children and feel that it’s okay not to support them, is a serious issue that could only be resolved with such efforts.

“Too many individuals in this community feel that it’s okay to get a child but not support that child,” Vialet said. “And we have a large number of men — whether or not they like it — that have multiple children with multiple females and they barely support them. And you see the effect of the lack of support when that child is in school,” the former educator added.

“You see the child that is struggling and the female that now has to struggle to work sometimes two or three jobs because the male refuse to provide any support. So I am hoping that this new initiative will make us men think twice before we get a child,” the first-term Democrat said.

And Vialet said there must have been a failure in PCSD that caused the owed amount to arrive at $29 million; an assessment that Walker agreed with, making known that he had made some changes at the division.

“Once I was alerted to this problem by the federal monitor, that’s when I really started to make some changes. But I’m not sure as to how it got to this point,” Walker said.

Currently, there are 1,728 parents in the Virgin Islands who owe approximately $29,599,919.52 in overdue child support.

According to Walker, PCSD has made many attempts to have these parents pay what they owe, including setting up payment plans and where appropriate, giving the parents in delinquency a hearing to present proof that the amount owed is incorrect. They’ve also sent out letters, quarterly notices and financial statements to remind thesee parents of the amount owed and affording them the opportunity for a hearing.

“But still they’ve either failed or refused to pay what they lawfully owe. And the paternity of the parents in question have been firmly established,” the acting AG said.

DOJ has conducted said asset assessments and is well aware that some of the parents on the list hold “good paying jobs” and have the means to take care of their children by making timely child support payments twice a month as required. But for whatever reason, they’ve chosen not to support their children, a decision, Walker contends, affects all taxpayers.