Gaurdian

I met my ex-wife while homeless.  Together we worked our way off the streets and into an apartment.  After a year in Denver we moved to Phoenix with the hope of starting a family.  Soon we found ourselves in school and I had an amazing job assistant teaching in a small private school for autistic children.  After we graduated from our first degree, AS in Criminal Justice Administration, my wife was convicted of fraud.  Although I assure people she was innocent and give plenty of proof to her innocents, my views are indeed biased.  What can I say, I still care about her.  Once she was placed in jail we lost our three bedroom house and I was forced to sign a lease on a studio apartment.  After a time we grew apart and when she was released we separated and are seeking divorce, which I’ am sure I will pay for not that I regret it, my only concern now is providing for my 7 month old daughter and ensuring I will be able to maintain visitation with my child.  I’ am currently working in a group home for severely mentally ill clients whom have been just released from the state hospital.  I enjoy this field, however I miss teaching even more.  I have my CJA degree which qualifies me for social work.  Yet I still need a BA to earn enough money to support my child independent of her mother.  Assistance for food and insurance has been temporarily confirmed for the two of them, but time is short and my daughter could have a much healthier life if I could take her full time and relieve the burden on my ex-wife.  I have the means to support a one bedroom apartment with childcare and health care as long as I can find a way over this seemingly impossible wall.  Nothing has been more frustrating than being able to provide for my child and finding the means is scarcely within reach.  The hardest part for me has been seeing the conditions in which my daughter lives five days a week knowing she can have better if only I could share custody and have her with me 50% of the time.  My only down fall is this would require a one bedroom apartment and I can afford only a studio at this time.  I have worked out a budget and plan for this to work for both the mother and myself while providing a stable environment for my daughter.  The only downfall to this is the extra three to four hundred dollars a month which I do not have and still maintain the current support to my daughter.  My goal is to help provide for my daughter, not deprive her of a loving mother.  I fear the possibility of state benifits running out and my wife inadvertently violating her parole due to lack of work.  I would be powerless against the state taking custody of my child.  I would fight for her tooth and nail, but I would rather maintain a stable life for her.  My ex wife and I are both full time students and I have worked with special needs and at risk children all my life (as short as it has been).  I have the ability to do this as well as the means with job offers with benefits.  The only thing missing is a financial resorce which would only have to last for six months max.