Do Parents Have to Give Money To Their Child, Living in a Group Home

[Regnes]

My question involves child support in the province of: British Columbia

So I have this young Korean-Canadian friend, she's sixteen and has very abusive parents. She's always described a lot of things from her home life that made me raise an eyebrow, in particular the way her own mother thinks of her and treats her.

Today she told me that she's been thrown out of the house by her mother because she swore in her presence. It seems ridiculous, but she is living on her own now, she's the nicest girl I've ever known and I don't believe for one second that she's done anything to justify being thrown out. She's living in a youth home right now, but she says she hates it there, she's grouped together with a bunch of misfit druggie teens. I've heard so many horror stories about those sorts of establishments and it's no place for her to spend the next few years of her life. She said her counsellor at school was looking into helping her find an apartment of sorts to live in, but those of course cost money.

The thing is though, I think her parents are required by law to pay for her living expenses, or at least the majority of it. She's a minor and they're still financially responsible for her, if they're not going to have her in their home, should they not be expected to pay for her regardless? I've already done a bit of research, and I'm led to believe that they're supposed to support her until she's nineteen or graduates from high school, or up to twenty-one years of age if she decides to go to college full-time. I'm just wondering if anybody knows better or can confirm this.

I'm not sure if she feels comfortable pursuing this, but I think she has got to do it. I don't think there's a whole lot of love in that family to begin with, and though I've never met her parents, I think they're monsters and deserve to pay whatever she needs to live comfortably.

[Dogmatique]

We deal only with US law here, I'm afraid.


But if this was the US, she wouldn't get any money anyway. It simply goes to whomever was providing the care.

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And your involvement is likely not going to help matters - you've already made up your mind about the entire situation despite only having her side of the story (and it might be just that - a story).

That is not perhaps the wisest thing for you to do.