Currently, child support is paid to each states' child support agency by the non-custodial parent, and then dispersed to the custodial parent. If the non-custodial parent is delinquent in payments, it can take months to collect it. This can cause financial hardship for custodial parents and their children, including food insecurity.
I propose a change: once child support orders are set, the government pays the support amount, and bills the non-custodial parent for the amount owed. This would provide financial stability and reliability to millions of custodial parents and their children. The government can wait months to be reimbursed; custodial parents often cannot.