When parents in Illinois and across the United States are faced with raising children on their own, child support payments become a crucial part of their ability to support their children during every stage of their development. Investigators say parents who do not pay the mandated child support instructed by courts have a "willful intent to avoid paying for children" and often refer to them as 'deadbeat parents.' Recently, federal authorities have logged onto the Internet in a continued effort to track down fugitive deadbeat parents and make them pay their child support arrears. The payments, authorities say, are important for a child's livelihood and basic needs.

When local authorities try to track down these parents, they are usually unsuccessful. Authorities report that about 90 percent of the time they knock on a door, the parent is not there or no longer residing there. On top of that, if the parent crosses state lines and police are issuing a civil warrant, their hands are tied. Fortunately, if a parent owes more than $5,000, the federal government steps in with felonious charges in an attempt to locate the parents.

Federal authorities have set up a 'most wanted deadbeat parents' website in hopes of catching parents who owe large amounts in child support. Topping the list is a man who owes more than $1million in child support, along with some professional athletes that also owe large sums.

Government efforts have paid off since 2006, with authorities arresting some 500 parents and collecting more than $33 million in child support.

Source: WAVY-TV, "Government goes after deadbeat parents," Jan. 18, 2012