New Passport Requirements Force Deadbeat Parents To Pay Upby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 14 Aug 2007 10:20 PM After numerous blogs detailing the problems generated by the latest passport requirements, I am thrilled to report on how some those same amendments are helping nail parents who skip out on paying child support. Three cheers for the Passport Denial Program, which has forced untold numbers of child support scofflaws to pay millions in missed payments. This program works very simply: The State Department denies passports to non-custodial parents who owe more than $2,500 in child support. Once the parents make good on their debts, they can reapply for passports. According to the federal officials, now that passports are needed to fly back from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America, collections under the Passport Denial Program are on pace to double this year. That equates to about $23 million, which some consider a conservative estimate. According federal officials, it took all of 2006 to collect the same amount under the program, which began in 1998. The money collected by the passport agency is then forwarded to the parent to whom it is owed. In one case last year, a man got his parents to pay his overdue child support - $50,498, according to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement. Which just goes to show you how deadbeats who owe back child support are able to come up with huge sums of money when it involves needing a passport. Calling the program a good collection tool may be an understatement. Officials say there are roughly 17 million children in the United States who are affected by parents who dodge making child support payments. And the news for those children may be getting even better. The Passport Denial Program is predicted to get another boost next year or in early 2009 when the federal government issues new passport requirements that will apply to land and sea travelers too. Related Articles: Government Giving Parents A Break On Passports For Kids Passports For Children--What You Need To Know Holiday Travel: Important Passport Information For Parents and Children Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags child support, deadbeat parents, international travel, passports, Travel Discuss this article
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