Spotlight on an NCCSO Leader

Meet Vanessa Diaz

I was divorced in June 1986, and my husband was ordered to pay $300 a month for the support of our two sons. After several months without support, I decided to seek help through the government IV-D agency and paid a nominal fee.

Initially I was naïve about the process. I thought I would at least have money to spend on my children for Christmas that same year. Although my ex-husband lived only ten minutes away from me, was working, and saw my children all the time, child support went unpaid for five years. Even as a client of the government agency, we never got one penny from him.

My ex-husband thought there was no need to provide child support since I was working. Maybe he never knew that we lived in what I can only call a "survival mode." I worked two jobs just to make ends meet. I was tired all the time. I wasted so much energy on waiting and hoping for a check that never came instead of expending that precious energy on my children.

Fed up with the governmental service and unable to afford an attorney, I turned to a private child support enforcement agency. I was in despair, but I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Within six weeks the private agency had recovered ALL of my past-due child support. I was amazed…and I was finally able to give my boys what they deserved.

I have a six year-old daughter now. When I look at her, I feel guilty at times. Every time she asks me to read her a book or wants a new toy, I can't help but think about the times that I was not able to give those things to my boys.

Raising my boys without child support was a constant battle. On top of it all, having to deal with an overwhelmed, ineffective government agency was a time consuming task that left me emotionally drained week after week.

After the private child support agency helped my family so dramatically, I decided to go to work for them. Now, as a Vice President of the company, I am able to spend my life helping others just like me….giving custodial parents options and hope.