By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
One of the unforeseen consequences of the recent budget cuts by the Trump administration is the potential reduction in funding for child support enforcement (CSE). While many people think of child support as a state issue, federal funding plays a critical role in ensuring states have the resources necessary to track down non-custodial parents, establish paternity, and enforce child support orders. Without this support, millions of families could be left without the financial assistance they rely on to cover basic needs like housing, food, and education.
If federal funding is withheld, CSE programs could lose more than $134 million, forcing states to reduce staff, cut services, and limit enforcement actions. This funding shortfall could have devastating consequences for families who depend on child support to stay financially stable.
The CSE program, established in 1975 under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, was designed to ensure that both parents contribute financially to their child’s well-being. It operates as a joint effort between federal, state, and local governments, with states assuming responsibility for program administration while the federal government sets standards, evaluates performance, and provides financial assistance. The program’s effectiveness depends heavily on federal funding, with the government reimbursing states for 66% of their CSE expenses through Federal Financial Participation (FFP). Higher matching rates exist for specific services, such as blood testing for paternity cases and technology upgrades. Without federal support, states would face severe funding gaps that they cannot afford to cover, significantly weakening the program’s ability to serve families.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown says that the cuts could be devastating because many states, including Washington, simply do not have the resources to absorb the financial burden.
“In this case and many others, the end result is a substantially higher responsibility for state government to support its citizens in a way that has never been anticipated,” Brown said. “And so, if you cut the programs that serve children, state governments just could not afford to cover that gap.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted federal funding for social programs, particularly in Democratic-led states that oppose his policies. If these proposed budget cuts are enacted, the consequences could be far-reaching, affecting the ability of state CSE agencies (also known as IV-D agencies) to:
Locate non-custodial parents by accessing wage information, new hire reports, and federal databases.
Establish and enforce child support orders through income withholding, tax refund intercepts, and license suspensions.
Provide adequate staffing and technology to handle cases efficiently.
Without these resources, enforcement efforts would decline, and families who depend on child support to cover basic needs would face greater financial hardship. The effects could be especially severe for low-income families, who often have limited legal or financial resources to pursue unpaid child support on their own.
Norah West, Assistant Director of the Office of Communications and Government Affairs at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, says it is unclear exactly how these potential budget cuts would impact child support services in Washington state.
“At this time, it’s difficult to know if or how policy decisions being made in Washington, D.C., will affect the child support program in Washington state,” West said. “Changes that could be made within various federal agencies could have direct or indirect impacts to our program.”
Despite the uncertainty, West says CSE remains focused on providing essential services to families and will continue working with other agencies to protect the integrity of the program.
“For example, our Division of Child Support works most closely with the Office of Child Support Services, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, but we also collaborate with agencies such as the Department of the Treasury and the State Department,” West said. “We will keep an eye on any changes that come from the federal government; however, we can’t speculate about any impacts at this time. Our focus remains on providing excellent service to our customers every day.”
Cuts to child support enforcement funding would only compound these financial struggles, forcing many families into deeper debt and reducing the effectiveness of public assistance programs. Without strong enforcement measures, non-custodial parents who fail to pay child support could fall through the cracks, making it even harder for custodial parents to secure the financial support their children deserve.
Brown says the administration’s broader efforts to withhold federal funding from state programs could have serious legal and financial consequences for Washingtonians.
“The other types of cuts that we’ve seen the administration try to make to funding to so many different programs all across Washington state… the state of Washington receives tens of billions of dollars in federal funding every year,” Brown said. “The idea of cutting a substantial portion of that is pretty daunting.”
“So, I don’t want to predict the worst-case scenario, but part of the reason that we bring these challenges is because not only is it unlawful, but it would have a tremendous impact on Washingtonians,” Brown continued.
Source: Seattle Medium
