1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my concern regarding the Division of Child Support's (DCS) practice of reporting child support obligations to credit bureaus, which adversely affects the credit scores of noncustodial parents who consistently meet their payment obligations. As a resident of Washington State, I have personally experienced the negative impact of this policy, despite maintaining an ernest payment record. Under Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 388-14A-2160, DCS is authorized to report to consumer reporting agencies the name and identifying information of any noncustodial parent who is delinquent in support and the amount of overdue support owed by that parent. However, it appears that even parents who are current with their child support payments are being reported, leading to unjust negative entries on their credit reports. This practice contradicts the intent of the Washington State Fair Credit Reporting Act (RCW 19.182), which emphasizes the importance of accurate credit reporting and the prompt resolution of disputes to ensure fair access to credit for all consumers. The repercussions of this reporting are significant. In my case, it has hindered my ability to secure loans and purchase a home, despite my consistent compliance with child support obligations. Labeling timely child support payments as "collections" is misleading and results in higher interest rates and diminished financial opportunities for responsible parents. I urge you to consider advocating for a review and revision of this reporting practice. Specifically, I request that DCS: 1. Cease reporting child support accounts as negative entries to credit bureaus when payments are current. 2. Implement a system to accurately reflect the positive payment history of noncustodial parents who fulfill their obligations on time. These changes would align with the principles outlined in RCW 19.182, ensuring that credit reports accurately represent an individual's financial responsibility and do not unjustly penalize those who are meeting their legal obligations. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and any actions you may take to rectify this unfair practice.