Being a single parent in Washington can be difficult in terms of financially providing for children and a household. Many single parents rely on the child support payments of the noncustodial parent to help with monthly expenses and necessities for the children. Due to the recent government shutdown, many parents' jobs and incomes may have been further affected due to the furlough of certain employees. Because so many different jobs were affected, some parents' are concerned that their support payments may not be received.
Technically speaking, payments concerning child support should not be impacted by the federal government shutdown. These types of support areas are dealt with on a state level, and only rarely does child support become a federal issue. Receiving payments should continue on the regular schedule as decided in an individual's situation, unless there are unrelated extenuating circumstances.
Though they should not be affected, several people across the country have reported delays or lack of payments since the shutdown. It is unclear whether these delays have any correlation with the issues happening on a federal level. Those parents concerned about the delay in payments may wish to contact their local offices in hopes of learning more about their situation.
Child support is often a lifeline for many single parents who need to provide for their children. The delays that are occurring, whether in relation to the shutdown or not, can have a significantly negative impact on those who need the payments. If parents are unsure whether their payments are behind due to the other parent simply not making the required payment or whether there are unforeseen delays taking place due to other circumstances, they may wish to look into Washington child support laws and agencies to determine what the situation is on a state level.