Adoption - Abuse?

Question

I'm going through mainly emotional abuse (yes, there is the occasional physical abuse) and want out. I'm soon to be 15 and have a family that is willing to adopt me. How do I get this to happen? I live in TX and the family willing lives in LA.

I DON'T WANT OPINIONS ON MY SITUATION.

Answer 1

Lejua......I sympathize with you.  but, DO NOT, get a bus ticket and just take off on your own at 15 years old.  Your parents have the legal authority to haul you back to their house against your will.  Also, if they feel that they cannot control you and keep you from running away, they can petition the court to have you placed in a Group Home where you will be subjected to very strict rules and lots of therapy!  Is that really what you want?   If there is emotional and physical abuse......talk with your guidance counselor at school or find a Pastor you can confide in.  Let them guide you in the right direction and at least have someone else on your side.  Your parents need to be confronted with the abuse......but, like other people advised, the outcome may not be what you want or expect.  It could land you in a foster care situation.  My other suggestion to that you contact the CASA Volunteer Organization in your county or state.  Go out on the internet and get the information you need.  Call a CASA DIrector and let them know of the abuse.  I'm a volunteer and that's what we are here for.  We represent children of abuse and neglect that have no voice or legal representation.  CASA will work with you and also your parents.  CASA can represent you in court also.  The court can force your parents to seek counseling.  Also, CASA looks for a placement for you, either another family member or someone like the family that is willing to take you in.  But, the best thing is for the real family to seek the help they need and eventually be reunited.  You only have 3 years until you are basically on your own anyway.  Just look at all possibilities before you create a worse situation than the one you are already in!

Answer 2

You just need to have your parent or guardian sign over the rights to you to someone else. So basicly you just need the paper work ran up by a lawyer.

Answer 3

Go be a Good Daughter to your parents! You owe your parents. They gave u life.

LA is a party city... you're just looking to live with a less strict family and party in LA

GET your Head in the Books & focus on your education. You are a CHILD. You cant make those kind of decisions

Answer 4

I'm so sorry you are suffering in this way.

First, report the abuse to DCFS or the police.  Then, request the state provide you with a lawyer.  Make sure you get a lawyer, not (or at least in addition to) a GAL.  That's a Guardian ad litem.  They are lawyers, too, but they work for the state -- to represent the 'best interests' of the child -- not for YOU!

The rest comes down to your lawyer proving the case, your parent(s) rights being terminated and you becoming 'free' for adoption, and then the adoption itself.

Remember, just because a family is willing to adopt you does not necessarily mean they will be approved to adopt you.  And they can't adopt until/unless they are approved.  Being that you are 15, you can give your opinion on them through your attorney...which should help.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Look, realistically if you are 15,  s***w adoption legally.

If your parents are really abusive, get the family in LA to give you some money for a bus ticket and go.  And yes, a 15 year old can buy a bus ticket.

Calling CPS will put you into the foster care system and at age 15, NO-ONE will adopt you, so you will bounce around in the system or be living in a group home.  Both cases suck.

If you goto LA without involving CPS, you can finish highschool and then either get a job or goto college and support yourself.

You did not say what your parents felt about you or how other years of your life have been.  But, another option is to consider therapy for the whole family if this is something recent.

Also, you did not say if you KNEW the family in LA or not.  Sweetie, if you do not KNOW them, do not go.  They might be worse that you bio-family....in that case, call CPS.

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EDIT:  CASA will not help you.  CASA is APPOINTED by the courts to a certain case involving a child already involved with social services.  You can't just call CASA and think they will take you as a case......a volunteer director will call CPS or tell you to call CPS.  

CASA = Court Appointed Special Advocate....that means the judge appoints the CASA to the case.  

The CASA may have a pick of the cases in the office, but the cases have been chosen by the family court judge.  Not every case in family court and not every foster kid gets a CASA.

Answer 6

You've gotten some great advice-just 1 addition-make sure that the family you want to live with has the ability to pass a home study, otherwise, you might end up somewhere else.  They'll have to pass criminal checks, background checks, their vehicle will have to be safe, their home will have to be safe, and there has to be an area for you to safely sleep (not on the couch).  Good luck, and my prayers are with you!

Answer 7

You'd have to either call DCFS or get your parents to give up their parental rights. However, I think calling DFS would be your best bet.

http://www.dcfs.utah.gov/

Good luck!

Answer 8

You'll have to get legal representation, because you'll need to essentially "divorce" your current parents.  You could try to contact CPS (child protective services) to get the ball rolling.  Either way, in order to move from your biological family, to this new family, the new family will be evaluated probably by each state.  The state (not you) will then determine if the family is fit to raise you or if you will be placed with a foster family or different adoptive family or, more likely, the state will place you with other relatives.   Sorry to say, but you do not get to choose which family you go to.

Answer 9

you have to get a lawyer and call dcfs.

Answer 10

First of all, to comment on Apple's response=- YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! If this person is truly being emotionally abused, and occasionally physically abused, you are telling her to go and be a good daughter, she owes it to them. What is your problem.

Now to answer your question- I would suggest you talk to the child protection services- if you are being abused you should not stand for that.  I am not sure if you can be adopted out to this other family- that would be up to the authorities- but no child deserves or should be abused by the people that are suppose love and protect them.  God bless and good luck, my sweet friend.

Answer 11

You can't get it to happen legally. Sorry.

There is no way that you can live with your friend in LA at 15, unless your parents make them your temp. guardian.

Tell the family to move to TX and then stay at their house as much as possible. That's your only option.

When you call social services as some here as suggested, all they will do is investigate and if abuse is suspected they will stick you in the Texas foster care system and no, not in LA.  Usually, foster care is much more stringent than it is at home.