CHICAGO — A fed-up Illinois father is laughing all the way to the bank, or at least away from it, after his baby mama's bid for formal child support backfired spectacularly, slashing his payments from $300 a week to a measly $13.49 a month.
The saga, captured in a viral video circulating on social media, shows the beaming dad holding up his first official state-issued child support check dated July 1, 2026, made payable to Shaniqia Nichols (also spelled Shaniqua or Shaniquia in posts) for the grand total of $13.49.
"I was giving my BM $300 every week," the man, identified in reports as Jenkins, wrote in the accompanying text. "Hit a rough patch and told her I need 2-3 months to get back on my feet and could only give her $150 a week. I have custody of my daughter 3 days out of the week. I take her to school every day & pick her up. And I pay for all of her daycare expenses. Her greedy ass wanted to put me on Child Support.
Well it's official."The cheeky post includes images of the grinning father flashing the tiny check alongside photos of the toddler and her mother.
According to accounts, Jenkins had been voluntarily coughing up roughly $1,200 monthly without a court order, a generous sum for many dads. But when money got tight and he asked for a short breather, Nichols allegedly filed for official support through the State Disbursement Unit in Carol Stream, Illinois.
Big mistake.
An Illinois court, factoring in Jenkins' income, his three days of weekly custody, daily school runs, and full responsibility for daycare costs, delivered a stunning reduction that has the internet in stitches, and divided over whether it's justice or a raw deal for the child.
"Damn Shaniquia, I know you regret that," one viral Instagram comment quipped, capturing the schadenfreude sweeping social media.
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