On the United States Department of State website, it has been reported that the United States of America has joined the International community in the collection of child support and maintenance. The text of the announcement from the U.S State Department reads as follows:
On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, the U.S. Senate approved the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. The United States has been active in the Convention’s development since negotiations began in 2003, and we were the first country to sign the Convention in 2007. This week, we have taken another step toward ratification, again reaffirming our commitment to protecting the welfare of children around the world.
Protecting our most vulnerable citizens, especially children, is one of the primary duties of any government. When a child and one parent are in one country while the other parent is in different country, recovering child support can be difficult and often impossible. The United States has a comprehensive system in place to establish, recognize, and enforce domestic and international child support obligations. The Convention requires that all treaty partners develop similar systems to facilitate the recovery of funds between nations. This will help more children around the world receive the support they need more expeditiously than ever before.
The Department of State will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Human Services as we continue toward ratification by the full Senate and the United States becoming a party to the Convention.
We look forward to working with the Hague Conference and other countries to implement this important Convention worldwide.
