Yellowknife (Oct 15/03) - The head of the Centre for Northern Families says the government needs to crack down on the growing number of deadbeat parents in the Northwest Territories.

"Something needs to be done about the situation because right now the programs in place are completely ineffectual," said Arlene Hache.

Close to 20 per cent of parents on the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) -- an initiative run by the territorial government designed to enforce court ordered child support payments -- are in default according to justice department statistics.

That total does not include a number of parents who are behind in their payments.

"For the money we pay, the program is fairly useless," said Hache.

But Lucy Austin, head of the program and manager of justice department's family law section, said there is only so much the government can do about people who refuse to pay child support.

"There are always people who will escape payment," Austin said.

One problem with the program is a lack of communication between federal and territorial officials, said Hache.

"The federal government won't even share social insurance numbers with the MEP. There's almost no way for them to track parents who avoid making their payments."

Austin said the program managers are working hard to close loopholes that allow parents to skip out on their support payments.

Territorial officials and their provincial counterparts are lobbying Ottawa for changes to the federal statute which prohibits the release of social insurance numbers.

By early 2004, Austin also expects the territorial government will have an agreement in place with all 50 American states to enforce payment orders.

"We don't get a lot of people who (flee) to the US, but this agreement will allow us to track those who do."

Hache believes the territorial government needs to devote more resources to enforce child support orders.

There are currently six full time staff members responsible for nearly 900 files, and the total grows every week.

That can lead to long delays for parents waiting for support payments, said Hache. "The response is extremely slow. Some parents are forced to wait for months. Meanwhile they're living in poverty."

Mira Hall, who has been on the program for the last three years, is owed more than $3,000 by the father of her child, a labourer in British Columbia.

"He just moves from job to job without reporting (his income) and nobody can do anything about it," said Hall.

"I'm trying to be patient but I was told it could take up to 18 months for me to receive payment.

"We both played a part in making the baby, but he's taking no responsibility." Austin sympathizes with cases like Hall's and said program managers have been working closely with their provincial counterparts to track down deadbeats.

"We send information to provinces like Alberta when a parent changes jurisdictions.

"And they do the same with us."

Hache said she was disappointed the government hasn't focused on improving the program.

"The same difficulties have continued," she said.

"Women in need still aren't getting the support they deserve."

But Austin disagreed.

She said sometimes the Maintenance Enforcement Program is unfairly targeted by critics. "We don't hear from the people who have a positive experience," she said.

"This program works well here."