Specialized child support assistance for military families

The Office of the Attorney General is grateful to service members and their families for the sacrifices they make each day to serve and protect our nation. Duties associated with a parent’s military service can complicate the child support process. Dep l oyments, frequent relocations and income fluctuations when called to duty make it difficult for parents to provide the emotional and financial support their children need and deserve. These and other factors can take a heavy toll on veteran and military family life and compound child support or parenting time issues.

The Attorney General’s Child Support Division recognizes these complications and provides specialized child support assistance and enhanced services through a project called Help Establish Responsive Orders Ensuring Support (HEROES) for Military Children. Three assistant attorneys general provide family-centered child support services to families of service members and veterans when they encounter difficulties resolving paternity, child support and parenting time issues, or when they need expedited or individualized help. To be accessible, the attorneys are stationed near large military and veteran populations in Killeen, El Paso and San Antonio. The Killeen site is near Fort Hood, one of the largest military posts in the world. Recently, a National Guardsman 30 days from deployment called about establishing paternity for his newborn son. The HEROES attorney provided detailed information; pointed the guardsman to the online application; ensured the application was received;  and coordinated with thefield office assigned to the case. Together, theHEROES attorney and field office were able to establish an agreed order within 20 days of initial contact. The military dad secured benefits for his baby and knew his child support payments would be accounted for through the State Disbursement Unit.