How can I enroll my children after fleeing to another city

Question

A woman wishes to flee her husband, and is hoping to transfer to a shelter in another city to keep him from abducting her children while she's waiting for a custody decree. Will the school make an exception for her (since she's in a shelter, she doesnt technically have an address and has no utility bill to prove her place of residence), and allow her to enroll her children. She doesnt want her kids missing much school due to all this, but she needs to leave SOON. Also will the school try to become involved in her situation in any way, and if so, then how?

Answer 1

Sounds to me like she is planning on kidnapping the kids before he does. She can get an emergency custody order if she truely believes that he will take the kids. She can also get a temporary restraining order to protect her and the kids. A court order protecting them will prevent him from being able to pick up the kids.

If she takes them first she will be jailed and will most likely lose custody of the kids for quite some time.

Answer 2

If she leaves prior to a custody hearing her husband can have her arrested and charged with kidnapping.  The school will only make an exception under a court order, since she hasn't gone to court yet no school will put itself in that position.  You are asking a school to aid and abet a federal crime.

Answer 3

You will have to give the shelter you real name.  Tell them your situation and let them know that you do not wnt to be found for fear of your children or yourself beiing hurt.  They will set your children up in school with different names so that they cannot be found.  The school might offer counseling services but cannot in anyway force the children to speak of things...especially with out your permission!

Answer 4

Most of the shelters have lawyers who work with the women there pro bono and they can help you sort out the legalities. Be sure you bring the children's birth certificates with you. Public schools are required to have a method for enrolling children who are homeless so even if you were living in the car with the kids or camping at a campground they could still go to school.

But having their birth certificates and immunization records is still vital and if you don't have them in front of you, you can write to the state to acquire them (the birth certificates) after you are in shelter and your husband would not find out. The immunization records you should get copies of from the doctor's office before you go.

Will the school try to become involved? I'm not sure how. You can put a note on file with the school office about the situation so that they know. The problem is, if you don't have an official custody document it is possible if your husband finds you, the school will have to let him take the children. BUT, you should talk to the lawyers through the shelters and they may be able to file an injunction or something like that where the schools would be able to keep your husband from taking the children and from contacting them at the school.

While you are in shelter, your address is the one at the shelter. If the shelter has only a PO Box, I am sure the school has dealt with kids from the shelter before, and it will be fine. Some shelters use an alternate street address from which mail is forwarded to the PO Box.

I think you should leave as soon as you have everything you need so that you have plenty of time to get settled with the children and enroll them in school. Many shelter programs have transitional housing for after your shelter time runs out which is at low cost and allows you more time to find a job and get services in place to afford to raise your children.

Answer 5

i think they would be willing to make in eception i hope things work out best of luck god bless you!