Local woman creates TV show to track down deadbeat parents

By The Review)
Published: January 8, 2010

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Sherry B. Haskins wants to be a television producer - a wish that may soon come true.

A Troy native, Haskins now lives in the Towanda area, and has been working with Patrick Schaefer of Schaefer Entertainment Group International Inc. (SEGI) to create the television show "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents."

In information provided to The Daily Review via e-mail, Haskins explained that she was inspired to created "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents," following personal experiences she had in connection with child support.

"I knew there has to be something I could do," Haskins wrote about how she came up with the idea for "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents." "Even though I started out because of my own kids, the more research I did the more it became about the American kids that are not receiving their child support. So I sat down and created the show 'Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents.'"

Working for a year, Haskins was eventually able to obtain a copyright for the show in June 2009.

A short time later, Haskins got in touch with Patrick Schaefer and outlined the show's concept.

"He was as excited as I was about this project," Haskins explained. "We started working together in September 2009. Ever since we have been working together to get sponsors and locate other people who would like their stories on the pilot that we will be airing here in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area. He also is going to do another pilot in the Tampa, Fla. area."

According to information provided by SEGI, the concept of "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents" is as follows:

"Over $22 billion of court-ordered child and general support payments is currently owed to various custodial parents throughout the United States. Divorce, legal separation or abandonment by male or female parents has reached epidemic proportion during recent years resulting in the remaining custodial parent often being placed in the position of totally inadequate funding to care for a child or children. Using a national television program, Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents will feature specific "deadbeat" parents who have abandoned their responsibility and children physically and financially and who have failed to comply with court ordered support payments. Very similar to the successful 'America's Most Wanted®' program, 'Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents' will seek the help of the viewing public to locate the 'deadbeats.'"

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21 posted comments

I am all for trying to collect back child support. My ex is over $14,000 in arears and every month I wonder if we well recieve a child support payment. I have three children and one of them needs braces for medical reasons. My last two child support payments have gone allmost entirely to pay for the braces. All three of my children wear glasses. It is a never ending strugle to make sure they have what they need. There Dad seems to be clueless. He acts as if I take his money and spend it on myself. I just pray he continues to pay so that I can pay for the braces. I have gone as long as six months with no help. He has never had to bear any consicences for his actions. I would love to have help in dealing with this very difficult person, but I would worry that a public television show could be very damaging, embarasing, and hurtful to some children. The people running this show need to be very carefull not to harm the children. The childrens feelings need to be considered. A child my not wish that the whole world knows that they have a dead beat parent. Some things are better left unsaid.
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Rachel Sarnosky,  06/03/10 9:54
What constitutes a deadbeat parent? The courts are the ones who determine if a parent fits the elements of a deadbeat parent not a show called "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents"

I'm sure the producers will recieve numerous lawsuits for defamation.
While truth is always a defense...it doesn't stop an unreasonable plaintiff to sue regardless.

Your show should go after DEADBEAT COURTS THAT DON'T ENFORCE THEIR OWN ORDER!!

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Maranda,  02/11/10 9:46
I find it disheartening that people actually have negative feelings towards this. I also find it ridiculous that these deadbeats have to agree to be "featured" on this show. Why are we protecting these deadbeats? They have no regard for what they are doing to their children, much less for the custodial parent who is taking on FULL responsibility to raise & provide for the child(ren) in EVERY aspect. As far as misuse of child support paid....I agree, that is completely wrong. But that is not the issue at hand here. That situation needs to be brought before the judge. Obviously if the child support is being paid and received, knowledge of the whereabouts of the custodial parent who is misusing the child support are known. Get that person back before the judge with your proof and have the judge declare. And I mean no disrespect, please know that. But these deadbeats are unfindable. Chances are, most people interested in this show have no clue of the whereabouts of the non custodial parent in order to get him or her back before the judge. This show would provide a means of trying to locate these deadbeats who have taken their life "underground" to avoid their financial obligation to a child or children. Most of those who object to this show are either a deadbeat or an enabler who is in some way related or involved with a deadbeat. I think the CHILDREN need us to fight for them and to protect them. And yeah...in these economic times.....it is even harder to support children with one income. And when you are court order to pay child support and you don't....guess what?? You ARE breaking the law! I say its about time for a show like this. My only objection is that they have to approve of the being featured......Im sure that will be a big fat no, for most anyhow. I hope this works!
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Denise,  02/01/10 1:25
Cheryl you can reach us by going to our web-site www.mostwanteddbp.com.
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Sherry B. Haskins,  01/29/10 5:25
I have three children by a Delaware Deadbeat Dad that is in arrears greater than 50,000. His sister alerted me of his whereabouts, but the State of Delaware will not pay to have him extridited from Alabama back to Delaware. Please contact me with any information regarding your show.
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Cheryl Wilkinson,  01/29/10 4:44
sees alot, There are lawyers for that. If there is wrong doing then he needs to get a lawyer and fight for what's right. He's obviously not a deadbeat so I don't think he would need to worry about being on the show. Someone should have a show about worthless mothers that only have children to live off of support and the welfare system. God knows that there's alot of that going on around here.
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B,  01/27/10 10:09
Believe me there is 2 sides to this....one what about when the mother causes the divorce with extra men in her life and the dad pays support but every time he wants to see his kids that he raised he hears i want i need this and this....but yet she went for the max on support and gets it ...pushes thekids to you tell your father etc...then drags him back to court for everylittle thing...Believe me the laws in this are ridiculous and lately alot of people haveing kids that they can not raise in good standings and we have alot of kids having kids.....some of these dead beats are still in school....I have nieces and nephews that believe me I would LOve to set them straight as there mother was the one that wanted the divorce she just had in her mind her life would be just Great well she apparently is not happy cause she makes everyone s life miserable......
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a aunt that sees alot,  01/27/10 5:32
I'm owed probably close to 20,000 but the court dropped my child support after he got arrested for armed robbery. I tried to file for some kind of assistance for just my daughter but apparently you have to apply for the entire family. What's a single custodial parent supposed to do? He's been in prison for the last 7 years and is supposed to be there for another 5. Needless to say, I has been very difficult.
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Love the idea!,  01/26/10 9:03
Couldn't be happier, what a great idea.
I've got a case no would believe. In fact when I tell it, no one does.
cwagnerelectric@msn.com
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Christopher Wagner,  01/25/10 9:07
This is a GREAT idea. My son has not seen any support or contact with his father since he was 5. He is now 21. My son is owes over $21,000 in back child support. He is his second year of college right now and could use the help.
I would love to have his face exposed for all to see. Maybe he will do the right thing and contact his son. Good Luck...
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Cindy,  01/25/10 6:31
I think the show is a great idea. I myself haven't gotten child support and would consider being on the show. Looking forward to know more about the show. =)
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Tarah,  01/25/10 1:21
On behalf of the Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents television show and project, I would like to thank the many people that responded to the various news articles recently published about the project and address some of the concerns and views that were mentioned.

Regarding the comment suggesting we include people who misuse child support payments received: The program format calls for addressing that problem also.

There were a couple of comments about how we would determine who to feature in each show segment. We will be using court/public records to determine the major offenders in the "deadbeat" category but MOST of the segment participants will be select from victims of non-support who contact us about having their situation featured. The show will feature deadbeat individuals who blatantly have ignored their court ordered responsiblitiy not those who lost their job and therefore can not make support payments. We are not out to embarrass anyone as one reader suggested. There are hundreds of thousands of people (men and women) who owe in excess of $100,000 dollars in back child support, yet are driving Ferrari's living in multi-million dollar mansions, crusing each weekend on their yacht, etc. THESE are the people we will feature and attempt to locate.

Addressing the comment suggesting we are going to hurt people and ruin their lives by making their problems public; it should be noted that NO ONE will be featured on the show unless they want to be, sign various Release documents and cooperate in the presentation of their situration. As to the "deadbeats" featured all information presented about them will be obtained from open court records, which are "Public Record."

We chose to produce the pilot episode of Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents here in our area to feature some of the local victims of non-support payment including me! If anyone would like their situation reviewed by the Producers for possible inclusion in that pilot episode send me the details. I will pass it on to the Producer. Also if there are businesses in this area that would like to capitalize on being a part of the show we have several opportunities open that would provide maximum exposure. I can provide that information upon request. I am pleased to see the positive response from our area and only hope that we can get some local companies to support us to show my producers that I did not make a mistake staging the pilot here.

Feel free to contact me at tripletrrr@aol.com

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Sherry,  01/14/10 10:38
Please review comments of Carol Krudup. She says it well. Personally, I think this type of show would only deepen the emotional hurts of the children. The 'deadbeat parents' know who they are and are not easily humilated or they might not be so 'deadbeat'?
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twice think,  01/11/10 7:57
I know many parents (both moms and dads) not receiving their child support, including myself. The court system hasn't worked in my case (arrearages over $40,000.) We would definetly love to be part of this show.

tammy@downwithdeadbeats.com
DOWNWITHDEADBEATS.COM

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Tammy,  01/09/10 3:49
I sure hope that there is plenty of research to determine who is profiled on this show. The child custody and support is heavily slanted twords the woman, and not always with any reason or common sense. Also Child Support can be as much as 60% of a persons gross income. This can place a person in a situation where if they pay their child support then they don't have enough to live on.
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Been there,Done that,  01/08/10 12:11
How about a TV show about the "dead beat" custodial parents who collect child support, but it's never used for the benefit of the child? As the wife of a man who paid child support every week like clockwork for 19 years and 3 weeks, I could give you a first-hand accounting about how this woman wasted our money - drinking, playing pool, buying a motorcycle for her boyfriend. Never mind the child wore rags. And before anyone jumps on me saying that we should have bought her clothing on top of paying support - we did, but every new coat, pair of shoes, etc that we bought, her mother sold. So before you make every non-custodial father look like a piece of crap, how about giving some credit to those that PAY support. Let's look at ALL the dead beats - both non-custodial AND custodial!
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The Wicked Step-Mother,  01/08/10 11:55
These are people who are in a sad, hurting situation. Should we really make their problems public. Some parties lives may be ruined, or made worse. One party may want their story presented publicly, but other family members may not. Children? Grandparents? The other spouse? Can all information be proved to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt? Emotions and how a person feels inside can never be known fully. Truthfulness is not a crowning virtue in this kind of situation. I have seen it personally. Lack of payment is only the tip of the ice burg of problems. There are many more just as important and all must be considered together to help resolve the situation. A TV program may not be the answer.
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Carol Krudup,  01/08/10 10:12
Good for her! This is a concept that should have been thought of and acted on a LONG time ago! You go, Sherry!!!!! Best of luck to you and all of the little ones who need their child support!
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Just a supporter,  01/08/10 9:45
what an awesome idea....i would LOVE to share my story....my ex owes approx. $50,000 in back child support. He resides in California, I in PA. I know exactly where he lives but have rec'd no help from PA or CA to enforce payments of child support...I can be reached at candyland18810@yahoo.com
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c. myers,  01/08/10 9:34
How can I be apart of your show??
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Amy B. (York,Pa),  01/08/10 9:04
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