TYLER - Four hundred, sixty-seven thousand Americans lost their jobs last month, pushing the unemployment rate to a 26-year high.
Those higher unemployment rates mean children could be suffering especially if the person who pays for their child support is part of those statistics.
According to a spokesperson from the Texas Attorney General's Office, more parents are paying their child support with an unemployment check or requesting to have their payments lowered.
In Texas, the number of people paying for child support with their unemployment checks increased by nine million dollars in the last year.
In May 2008, 2.5 million dollars of child support in Texas came from unemployment checks in May 2009, 11.5 million were from unemployment checks.
Also, there have been more requests for child support in general.
"Maybe they've never needed it before because they're single parents making it just fine on their own, but perhaps they've lost their job and now they're asking us for help," Janece Rolfe, from the Attorney General's Office, says.
Tyler Office:
200 North Broadway Avenue, Ste. 355
Tyler, TX 75702-5747
Office phone: 903-533-0393
Fax Number : 903-590-1840