Like many others, my boyfriend is an individual working full time, often clocking in overtime, to earn a gross annual income of $100,000 before taxes. However, when it comes to calculating child support, the system takes into account this gross amount, not what he actually takes home after tax deductions.

Meanwhile, his ex-wife refuses to maintain a standard employment, instead choosing to run an unclaimed home-based business that yields a considerable income. Furthermore, she is receiving federally-provided Child Care Benefit (CCB) and a provincial benefit from Alberta, both of which are non-taxable. She displays her income as nil, and hence my boyfriend is unjustly required to pay child support based on her receiving 'NO' income, while she rakes in about $40,000 annually.

It is disconcerting that these child benefits, both federal and provincial, are currently overlooked when determining child support amounts. The underpinning legislation in our child custody laws fails to acknowledge these benefits as legitimate income, thereby creating a less than equitable system of child support calculation.

This isn't just about my boyfriend's predicament. The issue is much more extensive, affecting numerous child support-paying parents across the country who are contending with a similar bias within our system.

We petition for a substantive change in the child support custody laws to ensure child benefits are recognized and counted as income when calculating child support, thereby creating a fairer, more equitable system for all parties involved. We urge the relevant law-making bodies to take prompt action on this urgent matter.

Please, let's create a change that matters. Let's make child support calculations truly fair. Sign this petition now!