CMV: A large portion of child support payments should go to the government.

I hold the unpopular view that child support laws should require a large portion of child support payments made by non-custodial parents go to the state.<br><br>Example: Let's say a judge determines a parent should pay $2000/mo for a single child. A third of that amount goes to the government. The government then pools all the child support payments to create a school voucher/direct payment system.<br><br>When a child turns 18, they get an account opened in their name with a few stipulations. They must be enrolled in school (OR a vocational training program). They must be employed. They must dedicate a set amount of time per week to either of the following: volunteer work, assisted living facility care, or vocational training.<br><br>The money in the account can be used for the following purposes:<br><br>1. Education (tuition, books, fees)<br>2. Employment-related expenses (job training, professional certifications, professional certifications)<br>3. Transportation expenses (car payments, insurance, parking/mass transit fees, license registration for a vehicle)<br><br>In exchange for this, the child must also be employed (even if it's just 10 hours/week) and/or enrolled in education/training programs. The state also has access to the account, and the child still pays income tax on the money. Additional money not being used by the child can be placed in a savings account for later use. The child does not gain access to this money until they retire or turn 45 (whichever comes first).<br><br>This way, child support funds are still being used for the children's welfare, but it prevents parents from using the money for frivolous expenses.<br><br>Edit: I initially thought this would be a good idea for kids without two stable parents, but more discussion has me thinking that this could actually be a more widespread issue of abuse. As was pointed out, it can be difficult determining who the 'deadbeat' parent is. The alternate solution I would propose is a more universal system where all adults are able to contribute money which is placed into the system. As children grow up and their needs become more apparent, the money can be split out. This would help level the playing field overall, and hopefully also provide some stability to families who are negatively impacted by child support laws.