PARENTHOOD is one of life's greatest and most precious gifts.

Becoming a mother or a father can bring much joy and happiness, but with it also comes great responsibility.

In an ideal world, two adults united through parenthood would remain together in a healthy relationship where they could provide a loving home for their children.

In reality, of course, this is sadly not always the case.

In many cases separations are amicable and parents can come to an agreement about their living situation and finances.

Where this is possible, parents arrange everything themselves and no-one else has to be involved.

But in many other cases, agreements cannot be made and that is where the Child Support Agency (CSA) comes in.

The CSA determines how much child maintenance, or financial support, should be contributed towards a child’s everyday living costs.

It is clearly of concern when parents who cannot come to their own agreement are also not paying what the CSA decides appropriate.

This newspaper reveals today that parents owe their ex-partners in Sussex more than £50 million in unpaid child maintenance, with more

than £9 million owing in Brighton and Hove alone.

Campaigners and MPs say the current system is not fit-for-purpose and have called for greater punishments for child maintenance avoiders.

Single mothers have told of their frustrating battle over the years to try and collect what is owed for their children from ex-partners.

However, one father has spoken out about what he describes as an "unfair system" which penalises fathers who work hard.

He also said that he felt more fathers would be willing to pay if they knew for sure the money was going to their children.

While parents battle for what they believe is right, we can only hope that both sides keep in mind what is of paramount importance and that is of course the children.