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OCR Page 1 of 79LOS ANGELES TIMES
THE PRESIJune 16AS1972
Society's Burden: Dependent Children
With No Father to Depend On
BY MARIAN P. WINSTON
to clearly solvent nonsupporting
ing middle-class family into wel-
and TRUDE FORSHER
fathers, not to men who are gen-
fare dependence. Carleson esti-
uinely poor or hard-pressed.
mates that as many as 450,000
Why does the Aid to Families
Shouldn't the term "welfare
California mothers are keeping
with Dependent Children case-
load continue to soar, in good
fraud" apply to people who un-
their children off the welfare
times or bad? How much of the
load their dependents onto pub-
rolls without adequate help from
lic assistance, while comfortably
the father. The line between
welfare burden is unnecessary?
off themselves? Apart from the
nonwelfare and welfare families
How many AFDC children have
burden on the taxpayer, it is
is thin indeed when there is so
fathers who could support them,
hard to understand why society
little reserve for emergencies.
but don't?
allows these men to condemn
The seven California counties
California State Social Welfare
their children, along with the
that do routinely enforce child
Director Robert Carleson esti-
mothers, to poverty, humilia-
support do so at a cost of
mates that there may be 250.000
tion and bitterness. Indeed, so-
about 11 cents on the dollar col-
California children on AFDC
ciety condemns these rejected
lected, and those counties have
whose fathers could afford to
children to deprivation by fail-
much lower welfare burdens.
provide for them, That means
ing to enforce its own laws of
But most counties don't bother.
parental responsibility.
As a result. 90% of the absent
Marian P. Winston is an editor
Parents' responsibility for
fathers of welfare children pay
their children is a cornerstone
nothing toward their upkeep In
at the Rand Corp., and Trude
of our way of life-but that cor-
1966 the figure was only 70%
Forsher is executive vice presi-
dent of Zukor-Forsher Produc-
nerstone is crumbling fast.
Nonsupport has been increasing,
tions, specializing in document
Judges routinely order "child
through good times and bad not
tary films and television.
support" that is inadequate. The
because the fathers are poorer-
average amount in California is
parental support shows no rela-
$75 a month per child-less than
tion to economic conditions or
that roughly $50 million each
half what the public spends to
unemployment. The simple fact
month-$600 million each year
support children in nonprofit
is that selfish. irresponsible ab-
-may be paid out in unnecessa-
foster homes. Often the amount
sent fathers don't share with
ry welfare in California alone, a
is $10 a week or less. So, even
their children no matter how
heavy burden to the taxpayer
when the amount is faithfully
well off they are unless they
and the cause of untold suffering
paid, the mother with custody
have to. There are some extreme
among these formerly indepen-
must somehow provide half or
cases. One nonsupporting father
dent middle-class families.
more of the child's financial sup-
of three, who claimed that his in-
port, as well as all the care-and
come was only $12,000 a year,
These welfare payments are
often caused by fraudulent
must do it on an earning power
turned out to be paying income
that averages half what a man
tax on $160,000 a year.
claims of poverty, not by the
earns.
Nonsupport does reflect the
welfare applicants-the mothers
and children pushed into pover-
Even a tiny contribution to
decline in enforcement. Carleson
ty-but by the fathers who go
child support can be very impor-
estimates that half the financial-
tant when the family is on a
ly capable nonsupporting fath-
free. and by the judges and
tight budget. Failure to pay
ers would provide support with
prosecutors who accept the
even the token amounts can, and
a nudge from the district attor-
men's unsupported word as to
their incomes. We are referring
often does, push a self-respect-
ney. In Los Angeles County,
Relations
belongs_to