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To a point, the problem comes up when a father (as was in our case for a while) after taxes, child support, after school care, rent, phone, electric, health and car insurance was paid there was exactly $274 a month left for food, clothes, incidentials, fun etc. Doesn't work well when a person is being raped financially when they still have to support a child.

BTW, at the time we tried seeing if it was possible for me to stay home or cut my hours to part time so that we could avoid child care (after school) costs - we would have been negative $124 a month doing that.

Luckily things now are much better for us, but for a few years not only did we suffer financially (you don't want to see our credit reports) but also my step-son suffered. While his friends could join boy scouts, go to movies, get toys he did without, including times when field trips at school were out of the question. This is not what "best interest of the child" is supposed to be about.