State House News Service

Boston March 16, 1999--Colleen Kibbie and her twin daughters ate a
lot of macaroni and cheese after the girls' father abandoned them 17 years
ago.

Even before David Roy, whose last known address was in Chicopee,
disappeared for good when his girls were 6, he wasn't a permanent presence in the house, forcing Kibbie to go on welfare to support herself and the little ones.

Kibbie said the girls, now 17 and thriving, had a tough time growing up as
they watched their friends get everything they wanted while they, the twins, had to go without.

"I hope David is brought back to Massachusetts so he can do the right thing
by his daughters," Kibbie said.  "If he doesn't come up with the money, he
deserves to spend some time in jail for ignoring his obligation to his kids.  If he does come up with the money, it would be a great down-payment on college."

Roy, who owes $51,342 for 17 years of back support, is highlighted on the
state's eighth annual "Ten Most Wanted" poster featuring the state's worst
child support evaders.  The poster was unveiled this morning at a State
House press conference.

Gov. Paul Cellucci called the 10 men "poster boys for bad parenting" who
"forfeit the rewarding role of being loving parents."  The governor said
kids who grow up without parental support are more likely to become
criminals, have babies out of wedlock, and fall into poverty. 

"They (deadbeat parents) have abandoned their children both financially and
emotionally," Cellucci said.  "It's the minimum a good parent should do, and that's to provide support for the children they've brought into the world."

Since the Department of Revenue began issuing the posters in 1992, the
Child Support Enforcement Division has arrested 51 of the 56 people
featured, and collected $1.3 million as a direct result of the poster campaign.

In addition to the annual "Ten Most Wanted," DOR also now publishes a
"Deadbeat of the Month" poster.  Last Thursday, February's feature - former Gardner resident Edward W. Ramsey, who owes $30,821 to his 14-year-old twin sons - was arrested in Sarasota, Fla.

DOR Commissioner Frederick Laskey said the posters are vital.  "Inevitably, after one of these events when we capture a deadbeat dad, voluntary compliance spikes," he said.  "There's a real incentive for non-custodial parents to come forward and to pony up what they owe."

The posters will be displayed in post offices, subways, buses and in local
businesses in towns where deadbeats were last known to be living.  They're
available at www.state.ma.us/cse.
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