Single mom debt woes

I think I’ve officially reached the point where I need the internet to tell me if I’m making the right decision.

I’m a single mom to a 1 year old and I work 20 hours a week. I gross about $2,000 a month but only bring home around $1,600 after taxes.

Before anyone says “just get a better job,” I would absolutely love to. The problem is I can’t get a better job without daycare, and I can’t afford daycare without a better job. It’s like the world’s least fun game of chicken. My county’s daycare assistance funding is exhausted right now, so I’m on the waitlist just hoping something opens up. I also don’t have people lined up to help me with watching my child. My mom still works and my dad is on dialysis.

I filed for child support back in March and I’m still waiting for a hearing. His dad sends money sometimes, but it’s nowhere near consistent enough to count on, so I basically budget like I’m getting nothing. (It’s also $50 when he decides to pay)

These are my monthly bills:
Mortgage: $820
Car payment: $444
Car insurance: $120
Electric: $120
Internet: $33
Credit card 1: $34
Credit card 2: $140
Credit card 3: $100
Personal loan: $230
Gas: $220
Hygiene: $30
Diapers: $50
Clothes for my son: \\\~$50 because apparently he wakes up every week and decides none of his pants fit anymore.(I thrift for a lot of his clothes or have people that give me hand me downs but sometimes I need to actually buy new)

SNAP covers $300 for groceries, and I once in a while go over that.

Cat food and litter: $50 because the cats refuse to contribute financially.

I’ve already talked to a bankruptcy lawyer. They told me I should be able to keep my house if I file Chapter 7, which honestly was my biggest concern. I can’t get rent for $820. Alone another HOUSE.

The next thing I want to ask them is whether I should surrender my car. I owe way more than it’s worth, and that $444 payment is killing me every month. My thought was to let them take it, survive with whatever transportation I can figure out for a few months, then use my tax refund to buy something cheap that just gets me where I need to go. At this point I don’t need heated seats or Apple CarPlay. I need four tires and an engine that starts most mornings.

The part that hurts the most is I’ve kept up on every single bill since I was 17 and never have fallen behind, missed a payment. Before all this happened I had almost an 800 score. I’ve just overextended myself tremendously.

I’m just tired.

It feels like every month I’m moving money around hoping nobody notices I don’t actually have enough. One unexpected expense and the whole budget falls apart. I’ve also officially maxed out every credit card I have so now I’m starting to panic more than before.

For anyone who’s filed Chapter 7, did it actually help? Is there anything you wish you’d known beforehand? Did you regret it? I know it won’t magically fix everything, but right now it feels like I’m drowning while everyone keeps handing me another bill.