Congress probably didn't foresee a big chunk of those $92 billion in economic stimulus checks being spent on Pampers, strained peas, maybe a few pairs of jeans and T-shirts, but that's where some of the money is going.

And while that may not be jump-starting the economy judging by the bearish behavior of the stock market these days, it is very worthwhile spending.

In cooperation with states across the country, the Treasury Department has been siphoning off stimulus checks that would otherwise be headed to deadbeat parents who haven't been keeping current on child support payments and redirecting the checks to the support of the children.

To date, those efforts have intercepted more than $830 million in stimulus checks and diverted them to state agencies that handle child support.

The stimulus checks range from $600 for individuals to $1,200 for couples filing jointly and there is a $300 per child credit added on. That might not seem like much when a non-custodial parent has run up several thousand dollars in back-child support, but in cases like that we would guess that every dollar that comes in the door for the care of children is much appreciated.

The redirected refund help is not instantaneous, however. Some states deposit the checks and then hold them for almost six months to allow the non-custodial parent to appeal. We would urge states to shorten that appeal process whenever possible and get the money to the children as soon as practicable.

We shed no tears for the disenfranchised wage-earners deprived of their stimulus checks. They may not be getting a big-screen HDTV, but they are getting the big picture for a change.