What Alternatives Are There for Children in Abusive Homes Besides Emancipation

My god daughter lives with her abusive, bi-polar, alcoholic mother. I have no rights as I am not related. The mother keeps moving from state-to-state, apartment to apartment, sometimes as many as 5 times per year. This means my god daughter is never in a school long enough to get a handle on her education; she is diagnosed with something (I can never get a straight answer from the mother) and receives some sort of disability for children. So, essentially my god daughter is her mother's "cash cow". She will never let the child go unless someone takes her away like they have done with her other kids. But because she now seems to know the system she has managed to hold on to this child so far. I fear that she will one day kill them both in a car accident because she drives drunk all the time. My god daughter just turned 12 and sees that she is helpless and I am afraid that she will give up and turn to drugs or something since this is all she can see as her future. What alternatives are there for kids in positions like this when the state doesn't seem to want to help? The emancipation laws are set up for children who are wealthy it seems. Hell, few adult people who work a minimum wage job could qualify by those laws. I am just trying to be able to give my god daughter some hope. Any help is appreciated.

I seemed to have missed the part where you called the Child Protective Services and reported this issue.

And we ask for the state, for a reason.

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Quoting mayableu

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My god daughter lives with her abusive, bi-polar, alcoholic mother. I have no rights as I am not related.

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What have you done to OBTAIN rights, such as petitioning for guardianship?

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The mother keeps moving from state-to-state, apartment to apartment, sometimes as many as 5 times per year. This means my god daughter is never in a school long enough to get a handle on her education; she is diagnosed with something (I can never get a straight answer from the mother) and receives some sort of disability for children. So, essentially my god daughter is her mother's "cash cow". She will never let the child go unless someone takes her away like they have done with her other kids. But because she now seems to know the system she has managed to hold on to this child so far. I fear that she will one day kill them both in a car accident because she drives drunk all the time. My god daughter just turned 12 and sees that she is helpless and I am afraid that she will give up and turn to drugs or something since this is all she can see as her future. What alternatives are there for kids in positions like this when the state doesn't seem to want to help?

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Exactly WHAT has been reported to the state? Which agency? What was their response?

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The emancipation laws are set up for children who are wealthy it seems. Hell, few adult people who work a minimum wage job could qualify by those laws.

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It's INTENDED for youth who have a DEMONSTRATED capability of being able to support themselves. It's made difficult on purpose, such that only those who are exceptionally responsible and capable of living off of their own income rather than that of the taxpayers have a chance at success. Petitions are successful in only about 1% of cases, because most minors, short of either movie stars or those with advanced education who are holding down several jobs can't earn enough to be self supporting. No state however, will even hear the petition of a 12 year old, because there's simply no way that a 12 year old, even a rich one, has the facilities to be self supporting, which is the whole point. The majority of minors who have issues with piss poor parents move on to something better when a family member (or god-parent) petitions for and is awarded guardianship, or child protective services removes the child from parental care in favor of foster care or state care. One takes a petition to the court, the other takes a report to child protective services. Neither of these happen spontaneously.

The child currently lives in California. This could change at any time. The mother has moved between there and several other states several times within the past 2 years alone. She moves every time CPS is called and then it just gets dropped since they don't seem to follow up if she moves to another state. It is very frustrating. I fear for my god daughter's safety every day.

I don't think you're getting the complete story here.

Who is not getting the complete story? Is there more information I need to provide? I will answer any questions that I have answers to. I am just trying to figure out how to give my goddaughter some hope for the future. If she makes it to the age of 18 her plan has always been to come live with me and go to college. I would just like for her to reach that age, but fear that because her mother puts her in harm's way that may not happen. I have been told that as long as the mother provides a roof over her head, food in her mouth, and clean clothes there is nothing CPS will do unless in their investigation they find that she has been basically tortured. Her mother has told my goddaughter that she will be raped or killed if she goes to foster care. So I know that the time that CPS interviewed her while her mother was in jail and with me, my goddaughter said absolutely NOTHING to CPS. This was several years ago. I don't know where her head is now and whether she would tell CPS the truth now, but I think she might.

Nobody does anything "all the time". Ans if she's moving from state to state - how do you KNOW she's driving drunk "all the time"?

I don't think YOU are getting the complete story. In fact if they're moving so constantly, how do you know much of anything?

I'm not picking at you - please understand that. But if you're actually wanting to pursue this, you're going to have to provide credible information to the court :)

Dogmatique, I know all this because I have been in this child's life for 12 years. Her mother has been arrested at least 8 times (that I know of) for driving drunk, domestic violence and resisting arrest. I have taken care of my goddaughter every time this has happened. I either fly out to get her, where ever they may be living at the time, or the times that it has happened while she has been in my state (NM) I have usually had her with me for the summer. I began taking care of this child at the age of 5-1/2 months because her mother was arrested and incarcerated for a few months. Since then I have her almost every summer. I go get her or sometimes her mother brings her to me depending on where they are living. I am in almost daily phone contact with my goddaughter and set up an 800 # years ago so that she can call me ANY time she needs to. I know that this all seems rather incredible, but I assure you it is all true.

That's my point.

You have knowledge of past issues, yes, but you can't actually go to court and say you KNOW what's going on right now, can you?

I'm not unsympathetic to your plight, but if CPS have been involved (and by the way, educational neglect is a BIG issue) and have not acted or felt compelled to remove the child, there is very little you can do as a practical matter. If you still wish to pursue this, I strongly encourage you to speak with an attorney. Also, encourage your goddaughter to speak with her school counselors. Explain that she will not be raped or murdered if CPS are involved - that they are going to try to help her.

Other than that I honestly do not see what else you can do if Mom has not been deemed unfit.

Yes, there apparently is nothing that can be done. I am assuming that since CPS is a state agency and that once she leaves whatever state she happens to be in then they are just glad that she becomes some other state's problem. This mom knows how to work the system to her advantage. I will just continue to pray. Thank you for answering my question.