John Washington III Says Child-Support Enforcement Deserves Clear Answers for Families
John Washington III, a 2028 presidential candidate, argued that child-support enforcement history includes policies that punished families, and said Americans should ask who benefits, who struggles, and whether outcomes for families — not just collections — are measured.
John Washington III, a 2028 presidential candidate, is questioning how child-support enforcement has served families. “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 cited the program's history as he made the case. He wrote that the federal program began in 1975 with part of its design aimed at reimbursing welfare costs, and that a new incentive structure in 1999 rewarded states for collections. “Families receive billions in support, but collections alone don’t prove fairness or family stability,” he wrote.
John Washington III said the measure should be families' real outcomes. “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.”
