Fatherhood Educational Institute: Protesting Lifetime TV’s ‘Deadbeat Dads’ Show

CHICAGO, May 14 /PRNewswire/ — Lifetime TV, with its audience of 100 million households, announced the launch of a new reality series, Deadbeat Dads. The show follows National Child Support founder Jim Durham as he confronts fathers who don’t pay child support.

The worst part about Deadbeat Dads is that innocent children of divorce may be subjected to public humiliation on national television and shamed in their local communities. These factors can contribute to parental alienation.

The deadbeat dad stereotype is a distortion and it perpetuates the many myths surrounding child support. Fathers’ Rights attorney, Jeffery Leving (www.DadsRights.com) says, “The vast majority of men who fail to pay their child support do so because of unemployment or poverty. US Census data shows that noncustodial mothers are 20% more likely to default on their child support obligations than noncustodial fathers.”

In fact, Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement data shows that two-thirds of those behind on child support nationwide earn poverty level wages; less than 4% of the national child support debt is owned by those earning $40,000 or more a year. According to a federal study of divorced dads, unemployment, not willful neglect, is the largest cause of failure to pay child support.

It’s time to take a stand against this father-bashing show and fight the media’s demeaning and defamatory depiction of fathers. Although Lifetime has already received thousands of protests via letters and phone calls, Deadbeat Dads is still slated to air soon.

Email mail@fatherhood-edu.org to protest the airing of this show.

About Jennifer Whiteside

Mother of 3 children and Pro Bono Media Coordinator of the Fatherhood Educational Institute (FEI) based in Chicago. FEI is a 501(c) (3) charity. For more information visit: www.fatherhood-edu.org

SOURCE Fatherhood Educational Institute