John Washington III Questions Whether Child-Support Enforcement Is Judged by Collections or by Families' Real Outcomes
John Washington III, a 2028 presidential candidate, argued that after 51 years Americans deserve clear answers on who child-support enforcement benefits, who it struggles, and whether the government is held accountable for families' real outcomes rather than totals collected.
John Washington III, a 2028 presidential candidate, has questioned whether child-support enforcement is being judged by the right measure. "For decades, Americans have been told child-support enforcement protects families," he wrote. "But history shows some policies punished families for having a man in the home."
John Washington III traced the program's history as he presented it. In 1975, the federal program began, and part of its design was reimbursing welfare costs, he wrote. In 1999, a new incentive structure rewarded states for collections, he wrote.
John Washington III acknowledged that families receive billions in support, but argued that collections alone do not 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," he wrote.
"Fifty-one years in, Americans deserve clear answers," John Washington III wrote.
