Getting divorced is undoubtedly a life-changing event. Not only does the make-up of your family change, but so does your way of life. Many divorced couples have to make significant financial adjustments. This is why child support is necessary for so many people. Raising children requires a significant amount of resources, so Arizona parents dealing with unpaid child support often find themselves in precarious financial standing. Now, the federal government is ratcheting up its efforts to make "deadbeat" parents fulfill their obligations.

Parents who owe more than $5,000 in delinquent child support will now be the subject to increased federal efforts to track them down. The program is called "Project Save Our Children." One feature of the project is a website featuring the nation's ten worst child support evaders. The hope is that people will visit this website and provide tips to assist federal investigators.

The man at the top of the list, who is believed to be in Thailand, owes his ex-spouse and children over $1 million. While this man is still on the lam, the program has already helped some families in need. Recent federal efforts have been attributed to tracking down multiple individuals that owed over $100,000 in child support.

A parent has an obligation to provide for their child. Those avoiding monthly payments are knowingly depriving their children of the "basics that they so deserve." Divorce places significant stress on children, even without taking into account a deadbeat parent. Child support is designed to make the transition into life after divorce easier for both parents and kids. This program is helping these families find justice they need to ensure that their children have the potential to thrive.

Source: KXAN-TV, "Fed steps up crackdown on child support," Jan. 31, 2012