September 30, 2002
Dear Senators:
On behalf of the diverse group of organizations represented below, we write to convey our strong support for two key child support provisions included in the bipartisan Senate Finance TANF reauthorization bill and separate bills sponsored by Senators Snowe, Kohl, and others, that recognize child support as key to family self-sufficiency. The Administration also proposed, and the House passed, child support distribution reforms. This consensus reflects research showing that families who receive regular child support payments are more likely to retain employment and less likely to return to welfare than those who do not receive child support.
These provisions would mean:
More child support to families who have left TANF. The first provision would simplify the rules governing the distribution of child support to families who no longer receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). It would direct more arrears to families no longer receiving assistance under the TANF program by eliminating the requirement that families assign pre-assistance arrears and by giving states the option to eliminate the federal tax offset exception.
State option to pass-through support to TANF families. The second provision would require the federal government to fully participate in the costs of passing through child support to TANF families, by providing that the federal government waive its share of child support collections to the extent that a state chooses to pass through its share of support and disregards such amounts from affecting TANF eligibility or benefits.
We endorse these proposals to simplify distribution and get more child support to families. Two important features of any distribution legislation, which are part of the Senate Finance bill provisions, include: (1) authorizing states to use TANF funds to pay for (or to count towards TANF maintenance of effort requirements) the child support collections that the state would provide to families to help states replace lost program funding; and (2) allowing states to implement any or all of the provisions early.
We would appreciate your efforts to ensure that TANF reauthorization includes both the child support pass-through option and simplified child support distribution rules. Both are sound public policies that build upon the philosophy of parental responsibility and family self-sufficiency embodied in welfare reform.
Thank you for your commitment to promoting the well-being of America’s children and families.
Sincerely,
American Public Human Services Association
Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES)
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Children’s Defense Fund
Coalition on Human Needs
Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association
National Child Support Enforcement Association
National Conference of State Legislatures
National Council of Child Support Directors
National Women’s Law Center