John Washington III Asks Whether Child-Support Enforcement Is Judged by Collections or by Families' Real Outcomes
In a TWA Community post, John Washington III traced the federal child-support program from 1975 to the 1999 incentive structure, and asked who benefits, who struggles, and whether collections alone prove fairness.
John Washington III is questioning how child-support enforcement is judged. For decades, he wrote, Americans have been told child-support enforcement protects families - but history shows some policies punished families for having a man in the home.
John Washington III laid out the history as he presented it. In 1975, the federal program began, and part of its design was reimbursing welfare costs. In 1999, a new incentive structure rewarded states for collections. Families receive billions in support, he wrote, but collections alone don't prove fairness or family stability.
"We should ask who benefits, who struggles, and whether the government is held accountable for families' real outcomes, not just totals collected," John Washington III wrote. "Fifty-one years in, Americans deserve clear answers."
