hey yvonne, well listen its been a long time since your post but ill try anyway ! go to your landlord leasing co. or whoever you rent from even if you are only one month behind and they have not issued you a notice yet because leagally its too early for that they certainley know that you are behind on rent so.!!! ask them to go ahead and issue you a rent due letter and have them say what they would say i.e. eviction notice etc. then at least you have your notice so that when you apply at the places that can help you with rent and utilities and stuff, at least you have a notice to work with. a lso you have kids so i dont know if you are involved with local churches or not but hey it never hurts to call and or go and talk to them they may be able to help. Now im no lawyer but each state is different but being late on rent ,,usually you have to be three months behind before these places can finally get you into a court room to have you evicted. And they can give all the move and rent notices they want but they must still follow the law. also if they change the lock on you if you have not been legally evicted then they cant do that just because they did doesnt make it right, so tell the police that they locked you out ,the police must underline must, come and help you get back in if this was done without a court approval,. yes they may tell you they are sorry but they cant help you because that is a civil matter. but if it was done without a court order yes they can they just dont like to. laws were enacted in the 9os because so many people were comming up homeless and the courts have said minimum of three months a legal eviction notice and all are required to evict you if the law was not followed yet then yes the police are obliged to come and help you get back in . thats not much i know but thats the law and we are a country of laws 1st. just ask any good court justice.