Pt 2: Barring a VALID reason not to, should the state place a child with the father, rather than foster care?

Question

I'm resubmitting this question due to a recent article on the subject:

Choosing foster parents over fathers
By Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks
July 11, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070711/news_lz1e11leving.html

Please read the article before answering. It is an eye opener.

Previous posting of question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgHeZNmoSTbq8eVhUWM1Qhvty6IX?qid=20070715011129AA6ySae

PEGGY S,
Sorry, the states simply do not do that. They will not give fathers to location of hsi children, when the mother has moved away. In California, they have overturned the law as regards move aways. The relationship between the father and children cannot be taken into account to stop a move.

Answer 1

That is an outrage. The father, however, should have kept up with where the girl went when the mother left town. He should have reported her to the authorities for not letting him know where they were. The authorities could have located her, and removed the child from her then for breaking the law, by keeping his child from him. He could have then either continued visitation rights, or taken custody. Unfortunately for both of them, he either did not realize his rights, or he gave up too quickly.

Answer 2

Child support laws in the United States are not working. They were designed to help the children. Yes sometimes that second income for a single mother to help support that child actually goes to the childs needs. When were these laws made? How many single moms throughout your adult life did you notice was just as bad as the mother in this article. I have come across many. I am a woman myself and I admit the fathers get backed into corners with child support and custody rights. Many men can not make enough money to support themselves and make support. When payments aren't made they get jailed, eventually lose their jobs and maybe even prision time. I am also writing from my own experience. My husband of twenty years is staying home and raising our five children. I work. He had a child while in highschool. The mother of now this young woman, never went back to work, lived off the state and also got a college degree. My husband on the other hand was jailed twice for failure to make support payments and lost a job. Not once was he granted visitation. Could not afford an attorney to fight for visitation. That's when I stepped in a paid all past support and kept it current. The Judge then told him he had to have a job or he would be in contempt and be jailed. Why? God only knows. These laws were made in the days when the social norm was that mom was the best choice for the child. This is now showing that its not true.