Deadbeat parent is a term referring to parents of either gender that have chosen not to be financially supportive of their children. Primarily used in the United States and Canada, the gender-specific deadbeat dad and deadbeat mom are commonly used by child support agencies to refer to men and women who have fathered or mothered a child and willingly fail to pay child support ordered by a family law court or statutory agency such as the Child Support Agency.
Read more about Deadbeat Parent: Child Support Arrears, Legislation in The United States, Action Taken Against Defaulting Parents, Terminology, Opposition To The Use of The Term
Famous quotes containing the word parent:
“Being a parent is a form of leadership. . . . Parents make a mistake, along with leaders of organizations, when they are unwilling to recognize the power inherent in the positions they occupy and when they are unwilling to use this power. . . . I do not mean a figure who is irrational, autocratic, or sadistic. I mean leaders who have the strength of character to stand up for what they believe.”
—Abraham Zaleznik. In Support of Families, ed. Michael W. Yogman and T. Berry Brazelton, ch. 8 (1986)