Mark Guimond, Executive Director of the American Association of Debt Management Organizations (AADMO), was today a featured speaker at the Congressional Black Caucus 34th Annual Legislative Conference on the subject of "American Families & Debt: How to Get Back in the Black".

Mr. Guimond first informed the group "credit is the leading cause of debt in the United States today." He then said, "last year's forum was on financial literacy. Today's program is on getting out of debt and, if we do our job right today, next year will be what to do with your money now that you're out of debt!"

Turning to a serious note, he said, one of the leading causes of poverty is unpaid child support. Guimond said, "today there is over 100 billion dollars in past due child support owed to parents. That's enough to buy 1 million homes at $100,000 each. Or in other terms, it's enough to have funded the war in Iraq with another $13 billion left over."

If you want to look at the causes of debt - just look to that number - 100 billion. That's a lot of rent, groceries, school clothes and other essentials that families need.

A single mother working two or three jobs to make ends meet doesn't need an interactive CD to educate her about her finances…she needs to get paid her child support.

When someone asks her 'What's in Your Wallet", it shouldn't be a credit card bill. It should be her child support check!

So, what can we do? We need to educate people about what resources are available. For the single mother owed child support, its where to get the paperwork to file a claim with the state, where to track down a deadbeat's employer - how to get her money.

The Congress needs to direct more resources into the enforcement of unpaid child support. We need to bring these deadbeats - and that's not my term, that is what the Federal Law calls them - to justice.

Child support enforcement means more money collected. More money collected means parents have more money. More money means they can pay their bills - this all leads to less debt.

Helping people get out of debt is a good and worthy goal. Helping people to avoid getting into debt in the first place is an even better goal. We should declare as a matter of policy that the United States will help reduce debt and poverty by attacking the root causes. That should be our future…

So, with the world as it today, where can people go for help? That's where credit counseling comes in. Credit counseling is a strong and proven method to get out of debt and avoid bankruptcy - today."

He further said there are many good credit counseling agencies in the US and consumers have a ready source of help at their fingertips. According to Guimond, "The AADMO web page (www.AADMO.org) has comprehensive lists of licensed and authorized agencies. Consumers don't have to take a risk on agencies endorsed by certain trade groups or affiliated with specific organizations. AADMO publishes only the official lists from the respective states - these are the agencies that the law permits to operate.

Information about the "American Families & Debt: How to Get Back in the Black" session can be found at: http://143.231.169.144/pdf/ACFE00.pdf.