The system sucks

Just under about a month ago I applied for help from the Department of Development Services to help me pay for my sons aquatic wellness class, which is for kids with sensory issues to help get them moving and active while in water, works in social skills, and teaches them how their bodies move and the difference between sore and pain, when it comes to being physically active. My son has been in this class since January, I talked about it in my last blog, and each session is two months long.

Until the current session (which he hasn’t attended) I have been able to pay for the sessions all on my own, with sometimes some help from my dad. Technically my sons dad is supposed to be paying for half the cost. He is not. Even though it’s court ordered, per our visitation agreement. It gives ally got to a point where I couldn’t afford it on my own anymore, which is why I applied for the help, which would have just helped me pay for his classes.

The fact that my son has ADHD was enough to get a case started for him, which meant the next step was having someone come to the house and evaluate him to see if he qualified. About two weeks after I applied the woman doing the assessment came to the house and spent an hour talking with my son and assessing him.

I had high hopes that he was going to qualify for the help and waited anxiously for the letter in the mail with the results of the assessment. Well, it finally showed up yesterday. He does not get benefits. He needed to meet a minimum of three areas that he still needed help in. He only met two, self care and self direction. Those are pretty big areas, but I don’t understand how those are the only two areas he needs help in.

I wanted to scream and cry when I read that. I wanted to punch his dad in the face for not helping out. Every time I ask for his half he has some half baked excuse for why he doesn’t have his portion.

I don’t know what to do now.

This class has helped my son more than anything else he’s tried in the past and I don’t want him to stop going, but I just can’t figure out how to keep him in it. I can’t afford it on my own.

Is it really supposed to be this big of a pain in the ass to make sure my son succeeds? That he gets the help he needs and deserves? Why is it so hard for his dad to give a damn about helping him?