HEROES: Help Establishing Responsive Orders and Ensuring Support for Children in Military Families
The goal of HEROES is to:
- Offer service members, veterans and their dependents enhanced, personalized assistance in addressing paternity establishment, child support and parenting time (custody/visitation) matters;
- Provide appropriate relief in Texas child support cases where military service/combat related injuries have contributed to non-compliance with court orders; and
- Promote positive co-parenting solutions for service members and families.
To accomplish these goals, the HEROES team works closely with the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), Family Readiness Group staff, the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP), Texas Yellow Ribbon, and child support and legal services programs across the United States and internationally.
During the HEROES grant evaluation period which runs from July 2010 through August 2013:
- more than 3,907 service members and veterans with specialized, expedited case review, assessment and legal action
- more than 345 Ft. Hood service members or dependents with individual appointments to discuss paternity, child support and parenting time issues
- 87 paternity, child support and parenting time legal clinics to more than 940 parents at Ft. Hood, Ft. Bliss and Joint Base San Antonio
- Presentations and legal briefings at multiple veterans legal clinics National Guard Yellow Ribbon events and with veteran service organizations
- Interstate child support and custody training for JAG attorneys and legal assistance staff at Ft. Hood, Ft. Bliss and Joint Base San Antonio
- All Texas Child Support Division attorneys with training conducted by VISN on recognizing and responding to post-traumatic stress disorder
HEROES services are overseen by CSD’s Field Operations. For appointments, legal clinic schedule or to ask general questions, email HEROES or call (512) 460-6400.
Are you about to deploy or are you returning from deployment? Check out the Military Parents: Paternity, Child Support, Custody & Parenting Time brochure for HEROES pre- and post-deployment checklists and to review frequently asked military parent questions.
HEROES project coordination is based in Austin with HEROES assistant attorneys general serving the San Antonio and Temple/Killeen areas. HEROES assistant attorneys general represent the State of Texas. They cannot and do not represent child support customers. If you are a service member and need an attorney to represent you, contact a private attorney or Legal Assistance through the JAG.
