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<p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) replaced the Child Maintenance and Enforcement
Commission in 2012 and brought significant reforms to the Child Maintenance system
in Great Britain. Child Maintenance in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue, although
they run a broadly similar scheme. Any questions should be directed to the Department
for Communities in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>We support separated parents to
make their own family based arrangements wherever possible. This allows families to
create flexible arrangements that work for their individual circumstances and, where
parents are able to work together, this can be better for their children. Where this
is not possible, the CMS offers an effective and efficient statutory scheme for those
parents who really need it.</p><p> </p><p>Under the statutory scheme, where paying
parents fail to pay on time and in full, we aim to take immediate action to recover
the debt and re-establish compliance. Where compliance is not achieved we are committed
to using our wide ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests
of children and separated families.</p><p />
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