La. representative proposes bill to allow pregnant mothers to collect child support

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - There is a potential plan that would allow pregnant mothers to collect child support before the baby is born.

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) introduced the Unborn Child Support Act. The bill would give mothers the ability to receive child support payments while they are pregnant.

“Life begins at conception, and this bill is a straightforward first step towards updating our federal laws to reflect that fact. We are hopeful that Democrats will join this bicameral effort to provide mothers with child support payments while their child is in the womb,” said Rep. Johnson.

The Unborn Child Support Act allows a court, in consultation with the mother, to award child support payments while the child is still in the womb and retroactively up to the point of conception as determined by a physician.

The bill provides flexibility for mothers who do not want the involvement of the father by not requiring those mothers to receive child support. It also mandates that all paternity tests be at the discretion of the mother and not be conducted if the test would put the child at risk.

The bill has gained support from other lawmakers, including Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA).

Some parents believe this will help moms with the financial burden that comes before a baby is born.

“The father of the child is just as responsible as the mother is,” Diana Quiett said.

However, there are some parents who are on the fence.

“I think it can be good in a lot of ways, but there are probably some downsides to it,” Lynae Ford said.

Ford is a mom herself. She believes some mothers could run a risk of damaging the relationship with the father before the baby arrives.

“If you go for child support right away, it can kind of hinder things and make things more difficult,” Ford said. “It would definitely have to be on a case-by-case basis just like how child support is given out now, and make sure everyone is on the same page.”

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