FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2025
Media Contacts:
Samantha Graubard | Office of Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto| SGraubard@dccouncil.gov
Kevin Caudill | Office of Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin | KCaudill@dccouncil.gov
OAG Office of Communications | (202) 442-8919 | oagpress@dc.gov
DC Council and Attorney General Announce Increase in Child Support Passed Directly to Families Receiving TANF
Approximately 500 of DC’s Most Vulnerable Families Will Receive Up To 33% Increase in Financial Support.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) today announced that, beginning October 1, 2025, families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will see an increase in child support passthrough payments from $150 to $200 per month. This change, enacted through the Child Support Reform Amendment Act of 2025, ensures more money collected from noncustodial parents goes directly into the hands of District families.
Prior to this reform, families receiving TANF were eligible to receive up to $150 per month in child support payments directly, while the balance went to reimburse government costs for TANF benefits. Under the new law, that monthly passthrough increases to $200, and technical changes ensure that families’ TANF benefits are not reduced.
The Child Support Reform Amendment Act of 2025 was authored by the Committee on Human Services, chaired by Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin, in collaboration with OAG and the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, chaired by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto. The Committee on Human Services also funded the legislation during this year’s budget process, transferring $70,000 to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. The Council overwhelmingly supported this reform.
“This effort is about putting kids first,” said Councilmember Matt Frumin, Chair of the Committee on Human Services. “Our coordinated work across committees and with the Attorney General’s office demonstrates the District’s commitment to ensuring children in TANF households can benefit more directly from child support payments.”
“All children deserve to have the financial support they need at home to thrive. Increasing the amount of child support that the District passes through to families is critical to ensure children are cared for and empowered,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. “Families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits will now have more money to pay for housing, food, transportation, and more for kids.”
“This is a critical, long overdue step towards ensuring that District children receive every single dollar of child support legally available. At a time when too many DC residents are struggling to make ends meet, increasing child support pass-through payments will help families cover housing, food, transportation and healthcare costs,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “I’m grateful to Councilmembers Frumin and Pinto for their partnership, and their continuing commitment to supporting healthier, stronger families across the District.”
Federal law allows jurisdictions to pass through up to $200 in child support to families who receive TANF. In the absence of state laws to the contrary, state governments take TANF families’ child support payments to pay themselves and the federal government back for the costs of providing TANF. Before this legislation, the District government only “passed through,” or let families keep, $150 a month in child support, although federal law let the District pass through up to $200. This legislation increases the amount of support that goes directly to families to the full possible $200.The Office of the Attorney General, through its Child Support Services Division, works with parents and guardians of children who are seeking financial support from non-custodial parents, to ensure timely and consistent child support payments.
Advocates and community groups supported this policy change.
“Child support money should go toward supporting children, which makes our communities safer, healthier, and fairer,” said Vikram Swaruup, Executive Director of Legal Aid DC. “We are grateful to AG Schwalb and the Council for their leadership on ensuring that more of these dollars go to families trying to put food on the table, pay rent, and buy school supplies as these essentials become more expensive. We urge parents navigating the system to contact Legal Aid or visit us at the Child Support Resource Center if they have questions about this, and we look forward to working with OAG and the Council to make sure every dollar collected through the child support system supports families in need.” District residents who have questions about the child support process can contact Legal Aid’s Child Support Resource Center at 202-791-3996, or by visiting its website here.
This coordinated effort highlights the District’s commitment to supporting families and ensuring child support payments benefit children directly.
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