Abusive, Drunk Mother. Can my parents get legal guardianship of her daughter?

[marlingrad]

What is the name of your state (VA)?
Ok so here is the deal. MY best friend's mom, 48, is drunk almost always, sometimes even when driving. Whenever I go over there, there is a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Now apparently her mother is not only drunk all the time, but she has progressed from emotional/verbal abuse (which caused my best friend to start drinking lightly sometimes) to physical abuse as well. I was curious, because my parents love her to death and would take her in, if there was a way for my parents to obtain legal guardianship of my best friend who is 16? Please help. Thanks.

 

[WittyUserName]

What is the name of your state (VA)?
Ok so here is the deal. MY best friend's mom, 48, is drunk almost always, sometimes even when driving. Whenever I go over there, there is a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Now apparently her mother is not only drunk all the time, but she has progressed from emotional/verbal abuse (which caused my best friend to start drinking lightly sometimes) to physical abuse as well. I was curious, because my parents love her to death and would take her in, if there was a way for my parents to obtain legal guardianship of my best friend who is 16? Please help. Thanks.

Short answer: no. But your friend should be speaking with a teacher or school counselor about the abuse. She needs to be seeking resources for herself, not choosing to "drink lightly". Give me a break - she can't blame Mom for her drinking.

 

[stealth2]

Gee - maybe someone should call Dad?

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (VA)?
Ok so here is the deal. MY best friend's mom, 48, is drunk almost always, sometimes even when driving. Whenever I go over there, there is a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Now apparently her mother is not only drunk all the time, but she has progressed from emotional/verbal abuse (which caused my best friend to start drinking lightly sometimes) to physical abuse as well. I was curious, because my parents love her to death and would take her in, if there was a way for my parents to obtain legal guardianship of my best friend who is 16? Please help. Thanks.

So what happened your parents called the child protective services in your area about her being abused?

 

[dannyt]

no

What is the name of your state (VA)?
Ok so here is the deal. MY best friend's mom, 48, is drunk almost always, sometimes even when driving. Whenever I go over there, there is a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Now apparently her mother is not only drunk all the time, but she has progressed from emotional/verbal abuse (which caused my best friend to start drinking lightly sometimes) to physical abuse as well. I was curious, because my parents love her to death and would take her in, if there was a way for my parents to obtain legal guardianship of my best friend who is 16? Please help. Thanks.

your parents have NO rights to someone else's child. period.and btw, if you press the issue, mom can cut you off from contact with her daughter( which she can legally do becuase untill your friends 18, mom controls who she associates with

 

[CJane]

Your friend did not start drinking @ 16 because of her mother's "verbal abuse". She started drinking because she CHOSE to pick up the bottle and consume the alcohol. Blaming others for her drinking problem is only going to set her up for a life of looking for people (like you and your parents) to enable her behavior.

Your friend is 16. If her home environment is unsafe, she needs to seek out help from the state. If her home environment is simply intolerable by 16 year old standards, she needs to keep her life on track by not drinking, not blaming others for her problems, going to school and graduating. Probably also getting a job. And then in two very short years, she can go out there abd be a grown up like the rest of us.