Cannotlogin.
I have two children, I haven't mentioned the other here is all because I share his care 50/50 and thus maintenance is not an issue.
I do understand somewhat what it is like to be a single mother because I was one for seven and a half years, my daughter's father left me when I was nine weeks pregnant and I had to not only financially manage alone, but practically manage a pregnancy in a wheelchair with a toddler. I understand how difficult it can be, and I spent a long time angry about my situation. When there was an opportunity to initiate contact, despite this lack of financial support in the early days, I took it though, because ultimately my daughter felt the lack of a father far more deeply than the lack of material things.
I believe that maintenance should be something parents can rely upon being provided, and that if there is no other involvement from the NRP that maintenance is a minimum acceptable contribution to their care that should be enforceable.
But I don't believe that it is the solution in every case, given my own situation, therefore I support the idea that if alternative arrangements that both parties agree upon can be made, and if it is the best interests of the child, that it doesn't reflect upon that parent's level of caring. I cannot work to provide more than what I already do due to my disabilities, so protecting access is very important, I cannot see any case in which providing maintenance to the detriment of contact would benefit my child. All I am pointing out is that it's not a one size fits all situation, and that there are other ways that indicate caring very much about children. I travel sixteen hours at weekends to collect and return my child, alone and often in a wheelchair, it's such a hard thing to do, but I endure pain, nausea, fatigue at crazy levels and go without to ensure I can afford fares. It takes me days to recover from weekends, and I am often unable to manage to cook for myself or get out of bed for those days. Someone who simply didn't care would not go through that reliably and regularly.
I don't believe any parent should have to provide an accounting of how money is spent on children either, that is controlling. I am aware of the types of abuse many parents suffer from, being a victim in the past of emotional abuse during which financial abuse was a part of it, and I don't support making one parent financially accountable to another simply because they provide maintenance, that is ridiculous. The only time anything like that should happen is when it is Court Ordered and in the interests of making a decision about the best interests of the child.