How do I become my cousins legal guardian?

Question

My aunt came over a month and just left my 8 year old cousin here and she took her out of her other school without telling them so right now she should be in school in las vegas (thats where she use to live) and I want to enroll her in school here because it starts soon. Plus my aunt is in irresponsible drunk.

Answer 1

Start with the CPS and they will let the cousin stay with you and will give the cousin medical and then go to the court and file temp gaurdianship of the cousin with the clerk...that will lead to a a judge seeing you and appointing you gardianship untill the mom goes to get the cousin back. She will have to prove that she can provide before that happends.

You need to go through these steps even though it can be a pain. It is fair for the chold though. The school thing should be possible as soon as you see a socail worker.

Answer 2

how old are you, if your older then 18 go to CPS and they can help you

Answer 3

I would try to contact child services and maybe they can help you get guardianship.

Answer 4

you have to go through the court and it will possibly be a long while if the mother is no where to be found or won't give up the child to you, and in the mean time the child might be put in a foster home where she will go to school and be taken care of there until you are appointed the legal guardian. you must be 18 or older, have a stable home and stable job with income enough for you and the kid at least. they will of course check your back round so if you did anything that they don't like they won't consider you fit

edit: tell the mother the problem and if she still doesn't want to help or says she can't tell her then there is nothing you can do and she will have to go into adoption and she will possibly never see her daughter again and not know where she is or how she is doing. wouldn't she want her daughter in the hands of a trusted family member than a stranger? i know it is mean but it is the truth that child will be put up for adoption because you are not the legal guardian and the mother is not taking responsibility so they will find someone who seems fit to be parents to the girl but looks can be decieving.

Answer 5

First the your cousin must not have anyone as his guardian. If you find his Aunt is an unfitting parent then tell child services. If you are of age and the court sees fit you may be his legal guardian. before you do any of this though you should consider how your cousin would feel.  

Answer 6

Mom is blowing things, big time.

A parent can choose to give you legal authority, by power of attorney or drawing up temporary papers to allow the child to be there, and be put in school.  That would be the quick and easy way.. but NOT good idea for you, since it isn't court orderred, and mom can come back and say "I changed my mind".

In most states.. relatives IN CERTAIN situations, can file against the parent for custody/ guardianship.  This is tricky.. it usually is limited to grandparents, and usually ONLY at time a family is disrupted (like parent being dead, divorce, in jail).   If your state limits this to grandparents, you won't have authority ("standing") to even file against her.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but probably cps is the only ones having authority to do anything now. You might get back with it being "vacation" with mom's consent, but once she is living elsewhere, working, and not getting child in school, that is neglect/abandoning.  The risk of you NOT reporting her, is that she may come back.. and take the child, then they have no way to take custody away. Or.. you MAY get into problems, if you are allowing her to be out of school and failing to report this. (I know.. you really are not allowing it, your hands are tied).

I bet aunt will try to make you feel guilty.. but she makes the choice. EVEN if she does go to foster care.. at least it will have some legal teeth, which is needed to keep her safe.