The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has decided to withdraw a previously proposed rule regarding the Child Support Services Program. The initial proposal aimed to change legal language to be more inclusive of various family structures, such as same-sex parents, by using the term “parentage” instead of "paternity." This withdrawal was influenced by complex issues raised in public comments and a need for further input from stakeholders. The department is focusing on other child support priorities and recent legislative developments.
Simple Explanation
The people in charge wanted to change some rules to better include all kinds of families, but decided to stop because they got a bunch of confusing comments and need more time to think about it.