Cabinet has thrown its full support behind a locally developed digital application aimed at transforming how child maintenance payments are collected and disbursed in Antigua and Barbuda — and potentially across the wider Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
According to Antigua.news, Cabinet received a formal presentation on Thursday from Registrar of the Family Court Fenella Francis, Crown Counsel Alicia Asker, and the application's local developer, outlining the platform — named MainCollect — and its potential to address longstanding failures in the child maintenance system.
Officials told Cabinet that delinquent maintenance payments have reached critical levels. An estimated 1,500 to 2,500 fathers in Antigua and Barbuda currently appear on court records with outstanding maintenance obligations. Across the OECS, that figure stands at approximately 11,000.
Director General for Communications in the Prime Minister's Office, Maurice Merchant, said the growing backlog of unpaid maintenance continues to impose serious financial hardship on mothers, guardians and the children who depend on that support.
The MainCollect platform, downloadable onto phones and other electronic devices, is expected to be fully operational within six months. It has already received approval from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) and is slated for rollout across all OECS member states.
The system will allow both parents to make and receive payments electronically, while giving the receiving parent or guardian secure access to monitor transactions. Courts will also receive real-time data on payment compliance, outstanding balances and other information critical to administering maintenance matters.
Merchant noted that the application removes a stigma previously associated with fathers having to appear physically at court to make payments. Users will instead be able to complete the process directly from their phones. For mothers without bank accounts, the Family Court will prepare cheques for collection.
The app is particularly aimed at resolving difficulties involving fathers who are paid in cash — a group Merchant described as posing the most consistent challenge to the courts. These individuals are frequently the subject of warrants and officer deployments, while mothers sometimes travel from rural areas and take time off work simply to check whether payments have been made. Automatic payment notifications are expected to eliminate that burden entirely.
Cabinet acknowledged that while MainCollect will significantly improve administration and monitoring, a broader approach may still be necessary to tackle chronic non-compliance. Options discussed included legislative amendments to strengthen enforcement measures, among them the possibility of incarceration for persistent defaulters. However, Merchant noted that option was identified as potentially counterproductive, as an incarcerated father cannot earn and therefore cannot pay.
Also explored were the creation of a register of delinquent fathers and enhanced collaboration with employers to facilitate wage deductions for repeat offenders. On the question of cross-border enforcement — covering parents residing elsewhere in the region or internationally — Merchant confirmed that country-to-country legislative arrangements would be required to make such measures effective.
Attorney General Sir Stedroy Benjamin told Family Court officials that continued discussions would lead to the formulation of new regulations.
Antigua and Barbuda holds the distinction of being the first OECS country to establish a Family Court, inaugurated with the support of UNICEF. The court holds jurisdiction over domestic matters including child maintenance, divorce proceedings, adoption and wardship cases.
