MY dad left home when I was seven. He left no forwarding address; he left no note. He simply upped and went and my mum had no idea where he had gone. She had three children under eight to feed.

This was the early 1980s and there was no help and no government intervention whatsoever, in fact, it was not something people talked openly about back then. Indeed, fathers leaving their families to fend on their own was commonplace, just part of life. Times then, I recall, were hard. My mum, having given up her working life to raise us, was suddenly faced with mounting bills and no income. She was not a woman to rely on benefits, so she went out, retrained, leading to jobs as a bookkeeper then auditor and later, in a career turn, as a qualified nurse. And all along my father paid nothing to our upbringing.

That’s why the news over the past week or so that parents are to be charged for the Child Support Agency (CSA) to ensure they pay for their children’s way dismays me so much. The new proposal is that if an agreement cannot be resolved amicably, then a 20% fee will be added to the maintenance payment, while the receiving parent will be charged 4% of the amount given.

Now, sure, the easiest argument here is to say that couples should sort this out themselves, but that was not an option for my mum. My father did not communicate at all or take any responsibility despite her efforts, so what was she to do? And if she was to be charged for a service to find him, could she afford it? Heck no. Every penny was vitally – and sensibly - accounted for.

The new changes not only mean many women will suffer financially, but it means the children suffer too. Because, unlike my father at that time, I know many dads today support their children, but a 20% charge could not only mean they take a huge financial hit, but, ironically, it may affect how often they can afford to see their kids.

Whichever way this goes, charging for child support is morally wrong, which is why we should all protest against the CSA changes, because, at the end of the day, believe me, from experience, I know who will suffer the most from these immoral fees: the children.