ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay - According to data from the Central Court of Paraguay, 1,482 parents are currently registered in the 'Registry of Delinquent Child Support Debtors' (REDAM) for failing to comply with their child support obligations. Of this number, 1,461 are men and 21 are women. These individuals are reportedly facing restrictions on various administrative and financial transactions, including the renewal of licenses.

The Technical Office for Support to Childhood and Adolescence Courts (OTANA), under the Judicial Branch, released the official statistics following recent cases of parents experiencing difficulties renewing their licenses due to child support arrears.

The 1,482 parents listed in REDAM are unable to renew their licenses due to non-payment of child support and are subject to additional sanctions under Law No. 6506/2020.

Guillermo Trovato, Planning Coordinator of OTANA, spoke about the scope of the law, noting that Article 8 specifically mandates the submission of a REDAM certificate for certain procedures established by financial and credit institutions. However, he added that further verification is needed to determine the extent to which banks are currently complying with this regulation.

Key Sanctions Include:

License Renewal Restrictions: Renewal of various licenses, including driver's licenses, is not possible.
Financial Transaction Limitations: Restrictions may apply to financial transactions with banks and credit institutions, such as loans and credit card issuance. (While stipulated by law, actual implementation requires verification).
Other Administrative Procedure Limitations: Specific details require further confirmation, but the law may impose disadvantages on various administrative procedures.

About the REDAM System:

REDAM (Registros de Deudores Alimentarios Morosos) is a system for registering and managing information on delinquent child support debtors. Its purpose is to strengthen the responsibility of non-custodial parents for child support payments and promote the well-being of children. Information on REDAM registration is available free of charge from relevant institutions.

Expert Opinions:

Child rights experts point out that child support is essential for the basic survival and development of children, and intentionally failing to pay constitutes clear child neglect. They emphasize that the REDAM system should impose real disadvantages on delinquent payers and strengthen social responsibility.

Future Challenges:

To enhance the effectiveness of the REDAM system, active cooperation from financial institutions and other relevant bodies is crucial. Furthermore, there is a growing call for social discussion on establishing more robust and practical sanctions for child support defaulters. Strengthening counseling and support systems for fulfilling child support obligations is also an important task.