Single Father Of Two Boys Seeks Money For Old Child Support Payment
by Jerry
Austin and Paul
My name is Jerry. I'm 42 years old and a single father of two ADD/ADHD boys, Austin 11 and Paul 7. I got married at 19, and I have a child support matter from the 1980s. Blake, the child involved is now 21 years old. The support issue is now considered an outstanding debt owed to the state. I've made all the arrangements I could make. Now it's pretty much at a point where they want a chunk of money or some good faith payments before they re-instate my driver's license. I've been raising my two boys Austin and Paul on my own now for about five years. It's been so hard with doctors, dentist, school, and all the other things that come with the responsibility. I can't get, keep or hold a good job because of the driver's license thing and I'm not available to work until after 8 am when they get on the bus, and I have to be home by 3:30 pm when they get off the bus. I've tried, but no employer will put up with it. So I do odd jobs, home repairs, cutting grass and whatever I can find while they're in school. Provided I have the gas to put into to the car I'm forced to drive and that's not legal. Trust me when I say, I have a whole new respect for women and child support. They deserve every dime. In fact, the support that they are awarded is merely a tip. Whatever they get monthly I'm sure doesn't cover all the needs. So, I am on food stamps, I just got approved for rental help and I received some help with my electric bill. Here's my dilemma... I'm healthy, educated, have skills, and am willing to work hard for my children. If somehow I can get the state satisfied with some cash that's due, there's no reason whatsoever why I couldn't go out there and work and pay for all those things on my own. I've tried to explain this to child support enforcement but they just simply don't care. It's all about the money. And they call themselves "Department of family services." Granted, I thank GOD everyday that I have the help that I do have. And I sent the white house a thank you letter for the programs they approved me for. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this help. But if I was just given the chance or had some money to give them, I could get my drivers license back and so many doors would open for me. Then I could stop ridding on the state's coattails and free up my slot for a family that really needs it. Now summer is here. My 11 year old has to go to summer school. My 7 year old stays home with me. Now it's even harder to work. If I had a paycheck every week I would probably stay on food stamps but not get as much and I could drop all the other assistance. That's a lot of cash I could free up that the state and Government helps me with. Now my ex-wife lied when she first put me in the child support system in the first place. But that's another story. I'm sure you're asking yourselves by now, "Where are the mothers?" Well, one lives in Baton Rouge with her disabled husband and three children. Trust me, they don't have it to give. They live in a small trailer. The other mother is in her 40s and can't seem to grow up and stay out the bars. Trust me when I say, I have re-vamped my life for the greater good of my two boys. It's been a domino effect from the beginning. Now, the three of us are safe, healthy, and have a roof over our heads. We're doing okay. We really are. But we can be doing so much better and be self-sufficient if given the chance. I mean how hard can it be? Grant me my license back, and if I don't comply simply take it away from me. I just recently got on these programs, before I was doing it all on my own. I can't put the kids in any kinds of sports cause it all costs money. Now it doesn't actually bother them cause they never had it. But I know what they're missing. They're both under doctors' care and on meds for the ADD/ADHD. I don't give them the meds on weekends and when they're not in school. I hate giving them meds. But without them they don't do well in school. So what's the difference if I get money to get this child support matter done with or getting money to live on every month because of the child support matter? I mean if it's like that, hell get me on my feet so I can do it myself. Once again, I am willing, ready, and able. And for the record, yeah the child support matter was a young and stupid move on my part. But like I said, that wasn't my entire fault either. Here it is 12:51 in the afternoon June 1st, 2010. My seven year old is playing in the living room and my 11 year old is at summer school. And here I am on the computer. You decide, give me one good reason why my ass shouldn't be at work and my kids at summer camp or day care learning and interacting with other children? Just one good reason? I don't need money for a trade or school or employment. I have all that. What I don't have is that one little thing, a driver's license. Not having it is stopping me from doing all I could do. How do I get it, MONEY? Well, thank you for reading my story. I'm open for input, because I truly don't know what to do. Just so I'm clear, I am not in any way in an emergency situation. My children and I are not starving or without a place to live. We're all just fine. But by the time I start hitting my late 50s or 60s, what then? There's no retirement, pension, or social security coming my way. The boys will be older and hopefully in school somewhere. But what I don't want is for them to have to take care of me. I want them to focus on their own families and be happy. Every now and then when I have a friend help me and I work for a few days or a week. It feels so good to come home tired and know I had a productive day. But when I do get sitters, it's not dependable. These people have families too and jobs. So it's not at all the time thing. If I may be so bold, it's a real pain in the ass.
      Go to the Accessible.org Home page. 
|
