It’s only fair that wherever a child lives, both parents should support their upbringing. In an ideal world, families could sort this out themselves. But when that isn’t possible, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is supposed to step in, make fair decisions, and ensure no child is pushed into poverty. Sometimes contact isn’t safe, or possible, and that’s not for anyone else to judge. What matters is that when one parent is doing the day‑to‑day caring, the system should back