Letter to the editor

I am the grandmother of two boys whom I have of custody since 2000 when the Department of Human Services (DHS) placed them. One is on a special diet.

I am on disability drawing $632 monthly and its hard to buy some of the foods needed by this child, but I do the best I can.

When I got the children DHS said they would help me collect child support but they never gave me or the boys anything except for school supplies one time in eight years and Christmas twice.

I keep trying to get DHS to help me in court for the boys to receive support but had to get Senator Nolan Mettetal to help me to get them to get on the ball to get into court.

I got custody of the boys in 2004 according to DHS but that’s not true. It was November 17, 2000.

When I call the case worker puts me on the phone with someone else who puts me on with someone else or they will tell me she just stepped out or is on the other line or tells me “we are not taking phone calls today or we’ll call you back or you are getting loud or smart with me.”

I can’t get a straight answer from any of them.

The father is under court order to pay support, get insurance on the boys, go to meetings, including parenting classes…

I had to find him for DHS when he needed to go to court or if they needed him for anything. They never could find him after I had told them so many times. I had to get out and do their job.

My son pays child support every month and when he missed one month he doubled up his payment the next month and they still went and got him from his job, put him in hand cuffs, put him in jail and suspended his driver’s license.

I want to know why they can’t lock him up if he isn’t going to support his children…

We’ve been to court twice with Judge Adam Pittman and he still isn’t paying…

I think DHS could do their job and get help for these boys. If deadbeat dads don’t pay or step up to their  responsibility, they should be put in jail.

I know they have a lots of cases, but I’m tired of getting the same old thing every time I talk to them.

I would like to know why they get some people to pay support and some that don’t.
Brenda Franklin