Identify And Describe The Child Support Scheme In Australia Assessment Answer

Answer :

Introduction

The children are the most important stage of the development and it is necessary for the country to provide them with the necessary interventions and aid that would ensure that their development is unrestricted. Robinson (2017) states the spiritual, mental, and physical and the psychological development of the children is necessary for shaping the future of the country as well for the integration of the frameworks that ensure the aims and objectives that were determined by the Government of Australia can be achieved. The aim of this project is to identify and describe the Child Support Scheme in Australia that has been widely proposed and applied all over the country. This project would also describe history as well as the reasons for the changes in the policy that has been adopted. The impacts of the changes within the society would also be discussed in detail as well.

Description of Child Support Scheme in Australia

The Child Support Scheme in Australia was formed with the intention for the proper receiving of the financial aid from the separated parents. The responsibility for providing and ensuring that each and every child of the country receives support through the implementation of the legislation is on the Department of Social Services (DSS) and improvement of the delivery system through this scheme (Luetjens, Mintrom & Hart, 2019). Due to several reasons, the payments of the child support by the separated parents were not being delivered effectively and the integration of the Child Support Scheme had to be put in place. The DSS helps for requesting for the assessments for the child support and the appraisal of the requests is also on them.

The main aim of the Child Support Scheme is to:

• The separate parents contribute towards the development of the child
• The child receives appropriate financial aid during the growing years
• The payments for child support are made regularly on time
• The level of the support received by the children is also according to the support that can be provided by the parents.

The arguments of the Child Support Scheme is that despite the separation of the parents, the child and their development should not be stunted or hampered in any way and they continue to provide the required help in the same way as if they were not separated. The intentions of the scheme are to form a uniform system for the assessment of the financial conditions of the parents and the financial aid is given to the child for their education, health, food and lodging as well. The decision for the aid is taken by the authorities of the Government. There is other legislation that helps in the child support system such as Child Support (Assessment) Act of 1989, Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act of 1988, Child Support (Assessment) Regulations 2018 and Child Support (Regulations and Collections) Regulations of 2018 (Natalier, 2017). They are also aimed to enforce the child support system in the country. 

Discussion of the history and reasons behind the public policy change

The Child Support Scheme was first introduced in the year 1988. The regulation was adopted to compensate for the inadequacy of child maintenance as well as the various problems that were faced by the authorities for the collection of them (Cook &Natalier, 2016). The other concern for the articulation of the child support was that the separation of the parents, divorce or the poverty of the women does not become an obstacle in the development of the child. It was also noted that the expenditure of the Government of Australia was also increasing exponentially for the maintenance and upbringing of the children while the parents had no contributions to it. Thus, the responsibility for the collection of child support payments as well as the enforcement of the regulation was on the Australian Taxation Office in 1989. The assessments for the amount to be paid were also made by them. There have been changes to the policy as the increasing number of child care required separate oversight and regulatory bodies. It is now enforced by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and provided by the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Australia.

The recent changes were made due to the contextual differences in the rising cost of the children rising in the country. The shared responsibility of the parents, as well as that of the state for the upbringing of the child, has been incorporated through the use of this regulation and scheme. This is also to limit the expenditure and involvement of the Government of the country in the allocation of the costs for developing a child between them (Cook & Skinner, 2019). The process for the determination of the support amount given by the parents has also changed over the years. The Child Support Scheme has redefined to suit the current trends of the society and to assure the estranged parents that the welfare of the child will be contributed by the other parent as well.

Impact of the change within the Australian society

The changes to the Child Support Schemes have taken into account the rising cost of the children welfare as well as the cost of education, living, food and other expenses for the child. This dents the expenditure of the Government as well. The changes that had been made for the calculation of the support amount is also justified as the quality of life for the child should be ensured by the parents themselves and their income (Skinner, Cook & Sinclair, 2017). The income proportionate contribution capped at a maximum has also led to the system of social justice. The other impact that the Child Support Scheme has is that the children of the separated parents are also guaranteed a minimum quality of life through the financial aid received and provided by their parents. This is particularly helpful for improving the condition of society as well. The education of the people of the country from a young age is a compulsory requirement to enhance the quality of the society itself. It is necessary so that the participation of the parents in the upbringing of the child can be better implemented by the application of the scheme. The benefits of the scheme also include a comprehensive system for the collection of the child support finances as opposed to the departmental authorities hankering the parents for it which was inefficient. The new system has made it criminal offence for the people of the country to escape child support and the process voluntary and autonomous (Vnuk, 2017). Thus, this scheme has definitely improved the social system for the upbringing of the children and ensured that requisite education and care is received by them. 

Conclusions

It can be said with certainty that the society at large has improved due to the application of the Child Support Scheme. The financial aid that is received from the parents can be utilized to impart better care, education and health services for the children as well the society is devoid of any children who have been left out. The burden of the financial requirements is also lifted from the Government and shared responsibility between the state and the parents are established due to which the children benefit from it.  The scheme also addresses the social issue of separation and divorce in a more manageable light whilst ensuring quality of life and care for the children as well.