Young Married Couple: Guardianship of wife's younger sister possible?

[George024]

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

I am 19 yrs old with an associates dgree, my wife is 18 with 19 college credit hours. My wife's younger half-sister is 14 years old and in the Oklahoma DHS foster care system getting bounced from one foster home to another. She has been in foster care since before she was 14 years old. Is there any way my wife can get custody/guardianship of her younger sister, preferrably with state monetary support. This would include possibly being her foster parents. My wife makes 20k$+ a year and is a full time state employee with benefits such as insurance. I am a student worker at my college and make around 10k$ a year before student loans and aid. (around 18k$ if you include aid). Me and my wife are currently in an 820sq ft townhome, but are going to upgrade to a 3 bedroom rental home soon (prior to attempting to take in her sister if it's possible). Me and my wife have been married for just over 2 months.

In one section of oklahoma law I did note that it says "302104. Nomination of guardian by minor at 14 years of age Approval of court.
When a guardian has been appointed by the court for a minor under the age of fourteen (14) years, the minor, at any time after he has attained age fourteen (14), may nominate his own guardian, subject to the approval of the court."

That's why I included the 3 bedroom house, income, and education lvl information to see if that might meet the "approval of the court."

My wife was displaced from her biological family several years ago as well. She shares a mother with her sister, but their fathers are different. My wife's mother and step-father are into hard drugs, prostitution, etc. They lost all of their children to DHS because of abuse and an all around bad environment for children. They were taken into state custody in a different state and are now in Oklahoma. None of my wife's sister's relatives have any contact whatsoever with her and will not help in any way. By "will not help in any way" I mean there is no one else related who has any interest at all in trying to get custody, and her biological parents lost custody and have court-orders restraining them from contacting her. My family was extremely supportive and good to me, and my parents have been married for over 25yrs.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by George024

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

I am 19 yrs old with an associates dgree, my wife is 18 with 19 college credit hours. My wife's younger half-sister is 14 years old and in the Oklahoma DHS foster care system getting bounced from one foster home to another. She has been in foster care since before she was 14 years old. Is there any way my wife can get custody/guardianship of her younger sister, preferrably with state monetary support. This would include possibly being her foster parents. My wife makes 20k$+ a year and is a full time state employee with benefits such as insurance. I am a student worker at my college and make around 10k$ a year before student loans and aid. (around 18k$ if you include aid). Me and my wife are currently in an 820sq ft townhome, but are going to upgrade to a 3 bedroom rental home soon (prior to attempting to take in her sister if it's possible). Me and my wife have been married for just over 2 months.

In one section of oklahoma law I did note that it says "302104. Nomination of guardian by minor at 14 years of age Approval of court.
When a guardian has been appointed by the court for a minor under the age of fourteen (14) years, the minor, at any time after he has attained age fourteen (14), may nominate his own guardian, subject to the approval of the court."

That's why I included the 3 bedroom house, income, and education lvl information to see if that might meet the "approval of the court."

My wife was displaced from her biological family several years ago as well. She shares a mother with her sister, but their fathers are different. My wife's mother and step-father are into hard drugs, prostitution, etc. They lost all of their children to DHS because of abuse and an all around bad environment for children. They were taken into state custody in a different state and are now in Oklahoma. None of my wife's sister's relatives have any contact whatsoever with her and will not help in any way. By "will not help in any way" I mean there is no one else related who has any interest at all in trying to get custody, and her biological parents lost custody and have court-orders restraining them from contacting her. My family was extremely supportive and good to me, and my parents have been married for over 25yrs.

You could try, but your ages are going to be against you to a great extent. Basically first CPS, then possibly a judge, would have to find that she would be better off in your home, than in foster care.

[candg918]

Because of your limited financial resources, try contacting the legal clinics at either OU or TU depending on which is closer to your home.