Child Custody / Adoption

[mommanana9]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Texas -

I have a child living with me since May 2008 full-time. Her mother has abandoned her and her father left her with me with no intentions of coming back for her. I need to find out how I can get custody of her, file abandonment charges against her parents, and then get complete adoption of her.

 

[momofrose]

Who are you to this child? How old is the child? How do you know the father is "not coming back"

 

[mommanana9]

Child Custody

The child and my daughter have been best friends since they were 4. The child turned 16 in September while living with me. Her mother and father were never married. Her mother left her with the mothers boyfriend cousin. They seperated and the child called her father when the mother never came back. The father had her a week when she came to my house because of his drinking. He lives 1 mile from my house and has only seen her 2 times since May 2008. Neither parent has a job, they are both alcoholics and we can't find the mom.

 

[momofrose]

Are there no relatives to this child? From what I gather you are not a relative.

The only way for an adoption to proceed is for you to get a home study and have the father terminate his parental rights and then file for abadonment against the mother.

 

[mommanana9]

Child Custody

The child has no relatives. The father stopped by for 10 minutes on Christmas day and left. how can I even get temporary custody of her? I do not think there will be problems with the father for that but I have no idea about the mom since she ran left without a clue as to where to find her. The child does not want to live with either parent. She is happy with us, has a stable home, food, clothing, is doing well in school now and has all the discipline and structure she has never gotten before. In the past 10 years this is not the first time the parents have "dropped" her with us. this is just the first time she has stayed longer than a month.

 

[momofrose]

Since the father is only 10 minutes away - can you ask what his intentions are? I mean he lives close by and it has only been 5 days.

I know what she wants and needs, but she DOES have parents (however terrible).