HOUSTON – Parents across Houston are speaking out, saying they haven’t received crucial child support payments for weeks or even months following the launch of a new payment system by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
The Attorney General’s Office introduced its new case management platform, “ChAMP,” in June, with the goal of ‘improving efficiency and customer service.’ But for some families, they say it’s created a financial nightmare instead.
Noe Velasquez, a Houston-area plumber apprentice and dad, says he’s one of many who got caught in the middle of the rollout.
“I would have to pay to the mother of my son, through my job,” Velasquez said. “My employer takes that money out and sends it to child support. When child support receives it, they [didn’t] distribute it. That was the issue because they were doing that whole system reboot.”
For Velasquez, the money was coming out of his check like clockwork but his ex wasn’t receiving any of it. So, he would pay his ex separately, to make sure she was getting what was necessary to take care of their son.
Velasquez says he called the Attorney General’s Office “multiple times every single day.” Each time, he was told his case would be escalated. Still, weeks went by without anything.
“It took about a month and three weeks for us to finally get an answer and for them to start fixing those payments,” he said.
In the meantime, the financial strain grew heavier.
“This isn’t just me”
Velasquez isn’t alone. KPRC 2 has received dozens of messages from parents and grandparents across Texas reporting the same issue some saying they’ve waited over two months without receiving a dime. One parent said they have more than $37,000 in unprocessed support stuck in the system.
“It’s the state child support,” Velasquez said. “They’ve been known to have issues in the past. At the end of the day, it is a state issue. They need to get on the ball.”
Despite his frustrations, Velasquez says he’s not trying to start a fight, he just wants the system to work for the families who depend on it.
What you can do
The Texas Attorney General’s Office urges any parents experiencing issues to contact the Child Support Division via their toll-free number: (800) 252-8014, or visit the new Self-Service Portal at texasattorneygeneral.gov/child-support, where users can view case and payment info 24/7.
