Cabinet has expressed full support for the introduction of a locally developed digital application called MainCollect, designed to modernise the collection and disbursement of child maintenance payments in Antigua and Barbuda and eventually across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The Cabinet received a presentation on Thursday from the Registrar of the Family Court, Fenella Francis, Crown Counsel Alicia Asker, and the application’s local developer, outlining ongoing efforts to address longstanding challenges associated with child maintenance payments.

Officials advised Cabinet that the problem of delinquent maintenance payments has reached critical levels, with an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 fathers currently listed on court records in Antigua and Barbuda as having 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 number of outstanding payments continues to place significant financial hardship on mothers, guardians and the children who depend on such support.

The MainCollect platform, which can be downloaded onto phones and other electronic devices, is expected to be fully operational within six months.

It has already received the approval of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) and is expected to be rolled out to all OECS member states.

The system will allow fathers and mothers to make payments electronically, while enabling the receiving parent or guardian to access and monitor those payments in a secure manner. The court will also receive real-time data on payment compliance, outstanding balances and other information critical to administering maintenance matters.

Merchant said the application removes a stigma that had previously required fathers to appear physically at court to make payments, noting that users will instead be able to complete the process from their phones.

For mothers without bank accounts, the Family Court will prepare cheques for collection.

The application is particularly aimed at addressing difficulties with fathers who are paid in cash, which Merchant described as the group that poses the most consistent challenge to the courts.

These individuals are often the subject of warrants and officer deployments, while mothers sometimes travel from rural areas and take time off work just to check whether payments have been made, a process the app is expected to eliminate through automatic payment notifications.

Cabinet recognised that while the application will improve administration and monitoring, a comprehensive approach involving legislative, administrative and broader societal support may still be needed to address chronic non-compliance.

Among the options discussed were legislative amendments to strengthen enforcement, including the possibility of incarceration for persistent defaulters, though Merchant noted this was identified as potentially counterproductive since an incarcerated father cannot earn and therefore cannot pay.

Also explored were the establishment of a register of delinquent fathers, and enhanced collaboration with employers to facilitate wage deductions for those who repeatedly fail to meet their obligations.

Merchant confirmed that cross-border enforcement, covering parents residing elsewhere in the region or internationally, would require country-to-country legislative arrangements to be effective.

The Attorney General, Sir Stedroy Benjamin, told Family Court officials that continued discussions would lead to the formulation of new regulations.

Antigua and Barbuda was the first OECS country to establish a Family Court, which was inaugurated with the support of UNICEF and has jurisdiction over domestic disputes including child maintenance, divorce proceedings, adoption and wardship matters.