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Child Support Administration: $109.4M allowance; agency seeks correction for omitted reinvestment funds after low amnesty participation
Summary
DLS and DHS flagged an omission of Child Support Reinvestment Fund appropriations in the fiscal 2025 and 2026 budgets and reported that a driver's‑license suspension amnesty had low participation and generated limited arrears collections.
The subcommittee reviewed the fiscal 2026 budget and program performance for the Child Support Administration (CSA). DLS reported a fiscal 2026 allowance increase of $7.7 million (7.6 percent), bringing total budget authority to $109.4 million, with personnel costs accounting for the largest share.
Nut graf: Why it matters
A multi‑million‑dollar omission of the Child Support Reinvestment Fund from two successive budget cycles and weak results from a drivers’ license suspension amnesty raise operational and reporting concerns about CSA’s funding, outreach effectiveness and performance metrics.
Key findings from DLS and DHS
- Budget and funding omission: DLS reported that the Child Support Reinvestment Fund (federal incentive funds used for performance‑related investments) was inadvertently omitted from the fiscal 2025 appropriation and the fiscal 2026 allowance. DHS requested that $20,050,163 be restored to both the fiscal 2025 appropriation and fiscal 2026 allowance to reflect projected revenues and to align spending with anticipated special funds. DHS said it was working with the Department of Budget and Management to process the corrective vehicles.
- Performance and reporting: DLS said DHS had not submitted all required performance reports on time and had not included actual federal fiscal 2024 data in its managing‑for‑results submission. DHS stated it had since submitted overdue reports in February 2025 and would work with DBM to update MFR measures.
- Driver’s license suspension amnesty: CSA launched a license‑suspension amnesty intended to help noncustodial parents resolve suspensions related to child support and reinstate driving privileges. DLS reported that between January and August 2024 some 21,563 noncustodial parents were eligible for the program but only 1,127 participated (5.2 percent). Participants collectively owed about $233.5 million in arrears, with an average arrearage of $13,147; the amnesty collected $594,737 (about 0.2 percent of total arrears). DHS said the program did reinstate driving privileges for those participants but noted barriers to participation, including fear of engaging with the program and the difficulty in locating some noncustodial parents.
DHS response and next steps
Principal Deputy Secretary Carnita White and CSA leadership said the agency intended to continue outreach, host expungement and resource fairs, expand the parent incentive program, and collaborate with community partners on employment supports for noncustodial parents. DHS said it would correct the budget omissions through DBM and improve public‑facing performance data quality.
Ending
The subcommittee requested follow‑up reporting on child support performance measures and asked DHS to comment on barriers to amnesty participation. DHS agreed to provide updated performance measures and to continue outreach and process improvements.
