MainCollect App Targets 2,500 Parents Behind on Child Support Payments

A new digital platform designed to improve the collection of child maintenance payments could help address a growing problem affecting thousands of families across Antigua and Barbuda and the wider OECS.

Cabinet has endorsed the introduction of the MainCollect app, a system that will allow child maintenance payments to be made electronically while giving courts and parents real-time access to payment records and compliance information.

Officials told Cabinet that between 1,500 and 2,500 fathers are currently listed in Antigua and Barbuda’s court records as having child maintenance obligations, while an estimated 11,000 fathers across the OECS are delinquent in meeting court-ordered payments.

The Family Court presented the initiative to Cabinet, describing unpaid child maintenance as a major challenge that continues to place financial pressure on mothers, guardians and children.

The MainCollect platform, which has received approval from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, is expected to become fully operational within six months and eventually be rolled out across OECS member states.

Under the system, payments can be made through a mobile application, allowing parents to monitor transactions and receive notifications when payments are made. The platform will also provide courts with real-time data on outstanding balances and compliance rates.

Cabinet also discussed additional measures to improve compliance, including stronger enforcement mechanisms, wage deductions through employers and the possible creation of a register of persistent defaulters.

Officials said the app is expected to reduce administrative challenges and make it easier for parents to track and receive child maintenance payments.