Very New Very Nevous

[Eneia]

Hiya, I just happen to come across thsi website while looking for job postings. I am a single mother of 1, I've been divorced for a few years. I got married very young, just out of High School and had my son about one year after that. One day after some horrible abuse that was done in front of my son to me by my husband I decided I needed to get away. That in and of itslef was not easy, It was so bad that he would keep me locked up in the house, so i had to sneak out in the middle of the night with my son... he was very controling and abusive in any way you can imagine, phsycial, sexual, mental. My son was a 1 year old when i left him. Any how I dont want to be too descriptive with what happened, just that it was worse then a nightmare and I wanted my son out of that environment. I moved back in with my parents for a few years and attended College, I am very close to getting a degree but recently my advisor found out that i am missing a certain test that was needed, I can not sign up for classes for the following semester without having that document of passing it and the test is not available until next semester. Now I had to move out of my parents house about 7 months ago, they could not afford anyone but themselves right now and they themselve are on assistance. The money i was getting from school that was left over was helping me pay my rent and bills and now that is gone. I am very nervous that I will not be able to pay my rent, and thus risk losing my house before I can find a job. I have been lookign for 2 months, submitting 20 or so applications a week with no responses. I am at a loss as to what I can do. I attempted to get on housing but there is a 2 year waiting list, I have medicaid and food stamps at the moment, but it is also very hard to find a job with the restricting hours with my son being home from school around 4. Im just lost, scared, and i feel like i dont have control. His father is supposed to be paying Child Support. I get a check for 28 dollars a month because he is a student and only works for a few hours a week.. he claims that he sends 140 dollars a month to child support, and that they take out most of it for intrest? Im not sure how that works.

Anyhow sorry for the lengthy post, I had to vent and didnt even realise it. Any help, recommendations, anything would be very appricated!

[SallySue15]

Hello Eneia,

Sorry, I must have missed your post somehow, that's why I didn't respond sooner.

I would advise you to contact your local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), as they have a Child Support Enforcement Division. They can set it up to have the child support automatically deducted from his check, to ensure that you are receiving the appropriate amount, and that he has no control over what you and your son are or aren't getting from him.

The DHHS can also assist you in paying for child care, as well as offering Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (this is a link to federal DHHS website, click on the tab that says families), and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/.../tanf-info.htm is the link to the state assistance programs, click on your state to determine what types of assistance are available.

I have also included a link to the Need Help Paying Bills site, that offers information on state and federal assistance programs, including assistance in paying rent.

Good luck, I hope everything works out for you!

~Sally~