Divorce is often a messy emotional as well as legal matter, and divorced women were often uncertain about the amount of time and energy they wanted to devote to securing child support payments. Women who had separated from abusive spouses were also uncertain as to how much time and energy they wished to devote to a relationship they wanted to forget, regardless of the possibilities of financial remuneration. Recent immigrants brought different cultural assumptions to the correct roles of different parents. Some women felt that they had failed as parents, because they were no longer living with their child's father. In the Hispanic community that made up much of the supervisor's work, very often women blamed themselves for their children's and their problems making ends 'meet.' They felt that their main role in life was to be a good mother, and if their lives did not live up to these expectations, it was difficult for them to pressure the fathers of their children, even when they were owed support. My supervisor often expressed frustration at what she called a limiting role of female selfhood for Hispanic women. A final barrier endemic to this population was a fear of the authorities, even amongst women who had lived in America for a long period of time. When searching for a 'dead beat dad' mothers, wives, and people within the local community were often...

Because of her personal, cultural heritage and awareness, this supervisor was able to overcome these barriers, at least, better than many others serving in her capacity.
Competencies

Compassion and a steely heart are necessary to succeed in the capacity of this supervisor. A Child Support supervisor deals with sensitive issues, but this supervisor commanded respect from both her colleagues and her clients. Her performance was especially impressive, one must note, given the great constraints under which she operated. Despite the division's mission to help children obtain the support they need, it is also required to minimize taxpayer expense when doing so, which means that the division often labors under a limited budget. Furthermore, balancing the ultimate obligation to help the child with the needs of the parent was often a Solomon-like task, especially when these two come into conflict (like the case of one a mother who was reluctant to pursue a former boyfriend or father because wants to move on with her life who had a child who needs the financial support to grow and thrive).

Being discrete, culturally sensitive, and intellectually rigorous were all requirements of this supervisor's job and she fulfilled them admirably.