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First off, I think there are enough negative side effects of non-custodial parents being forced to pay child support...not that I'm saying they shouldn't have to pay, but sometimes the non-custodial parent will lash out via mind games, etc. Can you imagine the kind of things people would do if they were forced to spend time with their child, but didn't want to? I think that could be worse for the child than a parent who doesn't have a relationship at all.
Also, at least in my experience, there *is* an economic incentive for the non-custodial parent to spend more time with the child - when child support for my ex-wife (the non-custodial parent of my oldest son) was calculated, it was based upon the amount of visitation she had - more visitation meant she had to pay less money. Not that she pays anyway, but that's another matter...
tim2shady, for your situation I strongly recommend that you thoroughly document everything, including the times when she says your child is sick. If you ever have to go back to court, there's a good chance she will say 'well, he didn't utilize his visitation these times'. You can explain the bit about her telling you the child was sick, but she can deny it, and then it's just your word against hers. If you have proof of some kind that your child wasn't really sick, document that as much as possible. If she continues to make this claim, I'd ask her to provide a doctor's note - if she refuses, document that. I know it can be a pain to keep track of all these things, but it can make a big difference.
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