Need to emancipate a youth of an abusive parent

[gjryan59]

What is the name of your state? IN

I have a 17 year old (18 in ten months) young lady who is at the moment estranged from her family.
Her Mother is an alcoholic who has verbally and emotionally abused this girl for years. She has an older Sister which her Mother has also physically abused. Both Girls have friends that has witnessed some of this.

Her Father who was the stable influence in the family passed away three years ago.

Her Mother told her to leave and that she didn’t want her anymore. Her Mother currently lives in Florida. As a side note, she currently has a warrant for her arrest in IN for skipping out on house arrest for a DUI conviction.

The young lady is currently living with Friends and has multiple households with the church family who are willing to give her shelter and support for as long as necessary.

She has other family, but they are in denial about her Mothers condition and the situation between them, and therefore keep trying to send her back to her Mother.

I am willing to take guardianship if necessary to keep her from having to go back.

She wants to be Emancipated, But she has know way to support herself at this point.
Let me stress that there are multiple families willing to take her in.

What are her options?

[LdiJ]

What a mess! This is really a problematic situation. Technically her options are none. Mom has custody, the law requires her to live with mom. However, if mom comes back to IN to try to enforce her custody, mom is going to jail....AND mom is clearly unfit (because of the warrant for violating house arrest).

The most likely result if the authorities get involved is that the teen will end up in foster care until she turns 18....or officially placed with a relative. What about her older sister?

[gjryan59]

Her older Sister is 18. And is living with us.
She would be willing to "take Custody" However she has just arrived herself after finishing her Senior year with her Uncle who basically forced her to go back to her Mom after Graduation and it lasted 13 days before she came here.
We are currently trying to get her established here with a job but at the moment she has no means of support.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by gjryan59

Her older Sister is 18. And is living with us.
She would be willing to "take Custody" However she has just arrived herself after finishing her Senior year with her Uncle who basically forced her to go back to her Mom after Graduation and it lasted 13 days before she came here.
We are currently trying to get her established here with a job but at the moment she has no means of support.

____________________________________________

What, if anything, are her mother or her relatives attempting to do at the moment?

[gjryan59]

Nothing at this point...But basically if history repeats itself, Her Mom will try to suck her back in at some point. And the only reason she would want her back is to play caretaker so she can sit back and drink while she expects the daughter to run the house for her.

She has already warehoused this child in a correctional academy once. She did this to get even with them for turning her into social services. The girls were taken away once becuase she was deemed unfit and was required to go into rehab while another family member had temporary custody. but they sent them back to her after six months. The mother Has totaly side tracked her education..at 17 she only has enough credits to be a Freshmen.

Her family is in a state of denial. Even though these girls and thier friends corroborate each others statements of the situation in their Mothers home. The rest of the family basically accuses the girls of lieing. The mother is good a sobering up when she wants to to put on a good face for the rest of the family. She tells them that the girls are lieing and that she isn't doing anything wrong. The family knows she is an alcoholic but don't want to accept that it is as bad as it really is and therefore keeps trying to reunite them.

We want to take some proactive action so that Mom doesn't get the opportunity to get her back.

Originally Posted by gjryan59

Nothing at this point...But basically if history repeats itself, Her Mom will try to suck her back in at some point. And the only reason she would want her back is to play caretaker so she can sit back and drink while she expects the daughter to run the house for her.

She has already warehoused this child in a correctional academy once. She did this to get even with them for turning her into social services. The girls were taken away once becuase she was deemed unfit and was required to go into rehab while another family member had temporary custody. but they sent them back to her after six months. The mother Has totaly side tracked her education..at 17 she only has enough credits to be a Freshmen.

Her family is in a state of denial. Even though these girls and thier friends corroborate each others statements of the situation in their Mothers home. The rest of the family basically accuses the girls of lieing. The mother is good a sobering up when she wants to to put on a good face for the rest of the family. She tells them that the girls are lieing and that she isn't doing anything wrong. The family knows she is an alcoholic but don't want to accept that it is as bad as it really is and therefore keeps trying to reunite them.

We want to take some proactive action so that Mom doesn't get the opportunity to get her back.

unfortunately, you really have no standing here. as another poster stated, mom has custody, and unless she agrees, her daughter wont be going to indiana to live. she can be reported as a ruanway if she leaves without moms permission, and you can face a host of charges, harboring a runaway, possibly kidnapping, interference with parental custody, etc. if mom wont agree, theres really nothing you can do.

[bucs1055]

Originally Posted by jessi perez

unfortunately, you really have no standing here. as another poster stated, mom has custody, and unless she agrees, her daughter wont be going to indiana to live. she can be reported as a ruanway if she leaves without moms permission, and you can face a host of charges, harboring a runaway, possibly kidnapping, interference with parental custody, etc. if mom wont agree, theres really nothing you can do.

Is that you Kelly?

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by gjryan59

Nothing at this point...But basically if history repeats itself, Her Mom will try to suck her back in at some point. And the only reason she would want her back is to play caretaker so she can sit back and drink while she expects the daughter to run the house for her.

She has already warehoused this child in a correctional academy once. She did this to get even with them for turning her into social services. The girls were taken away once becuase she was deemed unfit and was required to go into rehab while another family member had temporary custody. but they sent them back to her after six months. The mother Has totaly side tracked her education..at 17 she only has enough credits to be a Freshmen.

Her family is in a state of denial. Even though these girls and thier friends corroborate each others statements of the situation in their Mothers home. The rest of the family basically accuses the girls of lieing. The mother is good a sobering up when she wants to to put on a good face for the rest of the family. She tells them that the girls are lieing and that she isn't doing anything wrong. The family knows she is an alcoholic but don't want to accept that it is as bad as it really is and therefore keeps trying to reunite them.

We want to take some proactive action so that Mom doesn't get the opportunity to get her back.

Where is the child right now? Is she living with you or with one of her relatives? The child only has 10 months to go. As long as mom isn't trying to change anything right now I would leave it alone with the hopes that mom won't do anything before her 18th birthday. (particularly since mom is in FL).

In the meantime, you may want to consider helping this child try to get a GED and a job. If she is almost 18 its really too late to attempt traditional high school. If she can get the GED and a job she may be able to emancipate herself in the event that her mother attempts to take her back.

[gjryan59]

She is staying with a good frined's family. she is welcome there as long as she likes.
Already thought of the GED and Job.
One issue is that she doesn't have her Drivers license or her Birth certificate. Don't see any way to get one without the other. reall catch 22.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by gjryan59

She is staying with a good frined's family. she is welcome there as long as she likes.
Already thought of the GED and Job.
One issue is that she doesn't have her Drivers license or her Birth certificate. Don't see any way to get one without the other. reall catch 22.

Does she have her social security card?...that along with anything else she can come up with might get her the birth certificate....if she appears in person to get it.

[gjryan59]

She was born like five state away. Did find out however with an affidavit from her Sister verifing she is who she is. USBirthcertificates.com will process the request and send it to her.

Thanks