How could I if I can get custody of my younger siblings?

Question

Im almost 18 and during my childhood my real dad let my used to be step mom abuse me, just last year that same women had an affair on her fiance and that guy went crazy and killed my older sister,.. my other two sisters with her moved to their real dads in Missouri,.. and my younger sister from her moved to my real dads well then soon I had a younger brother and a little sister from her and she is recently pregnant and I have only met those kids twice my younger brother knows Im his sister but the little girl doesnt all the way when I was down there in kansas for my older sisters funeral I played the role of being a mom my younger sister the baby was calling me mommy... I want to get those kids out of there my dad and step mom do drugs they admitted it and I have seen it,.. I want to see them grow up where their loved and where I know they wont go through what I went through so how could I get custody of them could I do it during the summer of '09? Please if you have any answers I would love to here them

Answer 1

call a lawyer they can help u alot

and im relly srry for your troubles

Answer 2

your going to have to get a lawyer......and take it to court,... once you say there is drugs involved.... its not going to look pretty... id wait til your 18 though.. because if you dont... the kids wont go to you!

Answer 3

Parents have to be proven "unfit" by the law before they take away the children.

You are way to young to be raising any children.  It is a very hard job, and costs a lot of money too.

Answer 4

I know exactly what you are going through, Rose. I currently have custody of my youngest sister, and have had legal custody of all of my younger sisters at some point in the past.

Here are the problems you will be facing; when I was about your age I was given temporary custody of my youngest sister (then 5) and my second youngest sister (then 11) and my closest sister (then 16). My mother had been found incompetent after threatening to kill herself TO MY SISTERS in front of witnesses. The state found her of unsound mind and granted me a temporary custody order. Unfortunately, within a year she had them back.

The second time I had temporary custody was only of my youngest sister when she was 10. When my mother tried to take her back I fought her in court, but in the end she received custody again. During this battle I learned that it is nearly impossible to take custody of a child from their biological parents. Not only do the parents have to be declared unfit, but to get permanent custody, the judge has to determine that they are not capable of rehabilitation. This is almost impossible to prove, since at the time my mother took back custody she was living with my pregnant 16 year old sister and her abusive boyfriend who had hit my youngest sister on many occasions. This was not enough to be able to keep custody. Not even with a pregnant minor living with her abusive boyfriend living with her was she deemed an unfit mother.

Two years ago I received permanent custody of my youngest sister after the state stepped in yet again. This time the abuse and neglect were too bad to ignore, especially since my 15 y/o sister was already a high school drop-out without a single high school credit.

This will be a really difficult fight. Make sure you have a good job and the resources to take care of them. You must have a nice, well-kept home with a bedroom for them. If they are drug users and neglect their children, call the state and report them. The only way you will ever get custody is if the state decides that they are unfit. Taking them to court first just gives them the opportunity to make themselves look better before anyone important sees what is going on. Get neighbors or other family members to back you up and make calls, too. Be prepared to undergo a lot of scrutiny. People will say nasty things about you and every mistake you ever made will come back to haunt you. Remember that saying about people in glass houses? Once the state gets involved make sure that the social worker assigned to the case knows that you are happy to take them. Don't talk about your father or step-mother in a negative way, as this makes you look bad. Just be honest about what you've seen and offer as much assistance as possible. With luck and patience this strategy will pay off.

Good luck, you have a hard road ahead of you.