א חַיָּב אָדָם לָזוּן בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּנֵי שֵׁשׁ, אֲפִלּוּ יֵשׁ לָהֶם נְכָסִים שֶׁנָּפְלוּ לָהֶם מִבֵּית אֲבִי אִמָּם; וּמִשָּׁם וְאֵילָךְ, זָנָן כְּתַקָּנַת חֲכָמִים עַד שֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ. וְאִם לֹא רָצָה, גּוֹעֲרִין בּוֹ וּמַכְלִימִין אוֹתוֹ וּפוֹצְרִין בּוֹ. וְאִם לֹא רָצָה, מַכְרִיזִין עָלָיו בַּצִּבּוּר וְאוֹמְרִים: "פְּלוֹנִי אַכְזָרִי הוּא וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לָזוּן בָּנָיו, וַהֲרֵי הוּא פָּחוּת מֵעוֹף טָמֵא שֶׁהוּא זָן אֶפְרוֹחָיו"; וְאֵין כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ לְזוּנָן. בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ אָמוּד, אֲבָל אִם הָיָה אָמוּד שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מָמוֹן הָרָאוּי לִתֵּן צְדָקָה הַמַּסְפֶּקֶת לָהֶם, מוֹצִיאִים מִמֶּנּוּ בְּעַל כָּרְחוֹ, מִשּׁוּם צְדָקָה, וְזָנִין אוֹתָם עַד שֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא לְעִנְיַן מְזוֹנוֹת הַבָּנוֹת, אֲבָל לֹא כּוֹפִין לְהַשִּׂיא בְּנוֹתָיו; וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּצְוָה לִתֵּן לְבִתּוֹ נְדוּנְיָא רְאוּיָה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לָא כַּיְפִינָן לֵהּ, אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁיִּרְצֶה יִתֵּן, רַק שֶׁיַּשִּׂיאָן (הַגָּהוֹת מָרְדְּכַי דְּקִדּוּשִׁין, וְכֵן כָּתַב תא"ו נָתִיב כ"ב):
1 A man is obligated to provide sustenance to his sons and daughters until they are 6 years of age, even if they own property that came to them through their mother's father's house. From then and on, we provide for them as a decree of the sages until they are adults. If he does not want to, we denounce him and shame him and antagonize him [until he does]. If he [still] does not want to, we denounce him in public and say, "So-and-so is cruel and does not want to provide for his children! He is worse than a non-kosher bird that [at least] provides for its chicks!" But we do not force him to provide them sustenance. When does this ruling apply? When there is no economic estimation. But if the estimate shows that there is enough money for them to get charity, we remove it from him by force, for charity purposes, and we feed them until they become adults. Rema: This is specifically for feeding daughters [as well], but we do not force him [with regards to how much he gives] to marry off his daughters. Even though it is a mitzva to give his daughters off to those who are appropriate for them, nevertheless we do not force it, except what he prefers to give, as long as he marries them off (Hagahot Mordechai in Kiddushin, and so writes TA"V Netiv 22).