Attorney General Brian Schwalb introduced the Child Support Improvement Amendment Act of 2026, a sweeping proposal aimed at dismantling what advocates describe as a cost-recovery child support system that has long shortchanged D.C. children most in need.
The legislation would ensure that every dollar of child support collected from non-custodial parents goes directly to the children and families it is meant to support, rather than being diverted to reimburse the District and federal government for administrative costs, a practice that currently applies to families receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF.
“Dollars paid for child support should go directly to supporting kids — not to covering the cost of government collection operations,” Schwalb said in a statement. “We must do everything in our power to alleviate child poverty and make the District more affordable for all of its residents.”
The bill, championed by Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and Matthew Frumin (D-Ward 3), would significantly increase monthly support for some of the District’s most economically vulnerable families.
To qualify for TANF, a family of four must earn less than $13,000 a year. Under the proposed reforms, current and former TANF recipients could receive hundreds of dollars more each month once the changes are fully implemented, resources that supporters say will improve health, education, and public safety outcomes across the city.
With the current framework, child support for TANF families operates largely as a debt-collection model. Federal law requires parents applying for TANF to assign their child support rights to the government, allowing the District to split collected payments with the federal government to recover benefit costs and fund enforcement operations. As a result, custodial families often receive only a fraction of the payments, if any at all.
Advocates argue that this structure discourages compliance. They said non-custodial parents are less likely to pay when they know their money is not going to their children, which drives up enforcement costs while delivering little benefit to families.
The system also places custodial parents, often mothers, in the position of being required to help the government pursue court action against the other parent. Sometimes this happens without that parent understanding why the action is being taken, a dynamic that can deepen family conflict while yielding minimal financial relief.
“These reforms refocus our child support system on what truly matters — supporting children,” said Vikram Swaruup, executive director of Legal Aid DC. “Instead of diverting payments away from DC’s poorest families, the District can now ensure that child support reaches the parents and kids who need the help.”
Benefits of Legislation: ‘These Reforms Focus on Improving How Child Support is Delivered’
The Child Support Improvement Amendment Act takes advantage of recent changes in federal law that give states and local jurisdictions more flexibility in allocating child support payments.
The legislation would require that all current child support collected for families receiving TANF be paid directly to those families, removing the long-standing monthly cap.
Until this year, families could receive no more than $150 per month in passed-through support. The FY2026 budget raised that limit to $200, and the proposed law would eliminate the cap entirely once fully in effect.
The measure would also direct all collected overdue child support, known as arrears, to families who currently or formerly received TANF, ending the practice of diverting those funds to government recovery.
In addition, the bill restructures enforcement timelines to prioritize payments while children are still young. For new cases filed after the law takes effect, child support judgments would remain enforceable until five years after the emancipation of the youngest child, rather than expiring on a rigid 12-year clock that can delay meaningful support.
“All children deserve to have the financial support they need at home to thrive,” Pinto said. “Our child support reform bill will mean many District families in need will receive hundreds more dollars a month to cover costs like housing, food, transportation, and more for DC children.”
Frumin said the legislation is designed to simplify a system that too often works against the families it is supposed to help.
“Families should not have to work their way through a complicated system to receive support meant for their children,” he said. “These reforms focus on improving how child support is delivered, making it more straightforward, more dependable, and better aligned with families’ needs.”