I have been in contact with various people working for both HHSC (Health and Human Services) and the OAG (Office of the Attorney General) to expedite closure of Bub and Monster’s child support cases. This has been by e-mail and over the phone. A supervisor that I spoke with from HHSC, or someone who honestly seemed like she was one with her expertise, told me that the boys’ child support files have been flagged as having good cause since their birth years, and she was perplexed that the child support office even wanted to work these cases. She told me that to her knowledge, as soon as a good cause claim is approved, you don’t have to do it again… well, not unless you want the claim to be removed, then change your mind and decide to have it reinstated. I’m glad that the state sees the risk of harm working these cases for what it is, though. I would pursue child support if it were safe to do. I would pursue lifetime child support if it were safe to do, because the boys could really use it with their disabilities and more than meet the criteria for that. However, I had to make peace years ago with the fact that neither of these things can safely be pursued.

It sucks, but these were literally decisions that I had to make in both cases to eliminate the risk of harm.