US health department allows DOGE access to child support database

ISTANBUL

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has granted associates of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to a vast child support database, despite objections from career employees, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The database, managed by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is designed to enforce child support payments and holds financial details on nearly all US workers.

An HHS official confirmed to The Post that DOGE had access to the system, saying the group had requested “read-only” permission and was required to complete training before using the system.

“ACF supports DOGE’s efforts to improve efficiency and data quality to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs,” the unnamed official told The Post.

DOGE, which has been seeking access to taxpayer records to identify duplicative or improper payments, has faced resistance from career staff at the Internal Revenue Service.

The child support database offers an alternative means to track financial data, as it collects employer-reported income and state agency records.

A career HHS official had initially opposed DOGE’s request but is no longer with the department, according to sources familiar with the issue, the report said.

Some civil servants have warned that existing fraud prevention measures are already in place and that DOGE’s access could risk violating federal privacy protections.

Democratic lawmakers on Friday have called on the Trump administration to explain the decision, questioning how many individuals' financial records may have been accessed by the DOGE.

The federal job cuts, part of an effort backed by President Donald Trump and US tech billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the unofficial DOGE, to reduce government staffing, have sparked opposition from Democrats, labor unions, and advocacy groups.

According to media reports, dozens of lawsuits challenging the administration’s actions are pending.