What are parents rights to pregnant teen & unborn baby

I live in Jacksonville Flordia. I am 15 and my boyfriend is 14. Well now that I'm pregnant can my parents keep me away from him? Do they still have parenting rights over me? Do I still have to live with them? Are they allowed to make me get an abortion or give it up for adoption? Are they allowed to tell me what to do with the baby? Does the father still have rights to the baby if we are both under age?[/b]

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Well now that I'm pregnant can my parents keep me away from him?

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Yes.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Do they still have parenting rights over me?

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Yes.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Do I still have to live with them?

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Yes.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Are they allowed to make me get an abortion or give it up for adoption?

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They can try to persuade you to take a particular approach to the pregnancy or toward adoption.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Are they allowed to tell me what to do with the baby?

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They can influence the options available to you.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Does the father still have rights to the baby if we are both under age?

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Once his paternity is established, yes.

So basically your saying that they still have control of me but not my baby. So wouldn't they have to let me see him that way he could see his child? Would he also have the right to see his unborn child?

They can still tell me what to do when I'm a mother too? Or is can they only tell me what to do while I'm pregnant???

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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So wouldn't they have to let me see him that way he could see his child?

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No.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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Would he also have the right to see his unborn child?

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His unborn child? No. Once the child is born and paternity is established then he can petition for visitation. But his rights extend only to seeing/having a relationship with the child...not with you.

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Quoting Timmysbaby

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They can still tell me what to do when I'm a mother too?

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That's exactly right. Being pregnant/having a child/becoming a mother does not emancipate a minor. Therefore, you are still under the control and authority of your parents.

That sounds like a bunch of crap to me. Dont listen to this guy. The first thing you need to do, is figure out what your going to do. Will his parents let you live with him? Do you have another relative who will let you stay with them? If you do, start planning. Have them Go to the court and petition for Guardianship. If you are hell bent on keeping this child, you can sit down your parents and explain that like it or not, your going to have a baby. They can try to tell you what to do, but in the end it is YOUR body, YOUR decision. NOBODY can make you do something that you dont want to do. Do not let somebody try to tell you otherwise. If you chose to keep this baby, then they are gonna just have to live with that. Start keeping a journal. Everyday, write what happend with your family, and everything that was said. If need be, keep it at a friends house for safekeeping, cause they WILL raid your room to see if you are still seeing him. I have to agree with you parents on the issue that you shouldnt see him for now. You are babies as well. Things are going to be really difficult from here on out, and the last thing you need is some boy, clouding your judgement, when you should be focusing on what is in store for you. You cannot petition for emancipation to live on the streets, so the first thing to do, is like I said, find a trusted family member like an aunt or a grandmother that will let you stay with them, and then they have to ask for guardianship. Just let your parents know that from here on out, things are going to get sticky. And they can push, and pull all they want but you have made up your mind about an abortion. Also, I don't know what state you live in, but in California, it is not illegal to run away from home. You can run away to live with a friend or family member, and the police CANNOT pick you up. If you choose to stay away, then they cant force you. There are programs for young mothers to get into, for job training and a high school diploma, alot of the womans shelters can give you information on these programs. Also, talk to your local Planned Parenthood. It's free and confidential. They can also help you with your options by helping you locate a counseler. There are alot of options for you hon. You just gotta want it bad enough. But if you wanna know my opinion, in 5 years you probably wont even be talking to this kid, he will be gone, and you will hate him. He and you are sill children, you are going to go through so many changes in the next few years. The person you are is going to change drasticaly after the baby is born. Don't rush on this one guy. I have alot of friends who did the same thing your fighting for, and they are alone. You have alot of frogs to kiss before you find that really special, mature man who can take care of you, emotionally, physically, and financially. I with you the best, and if you ever need anybody to talk to, please feel free to email me at my own personal account. I hope I have made you feel a little better, but just don't let people like the first commenter get to you. They are, for lack of better words, talking out there asses. I am 25 years old and have 2 children and just recently got married a few months ago. I know what your going through, and I know that you could probably use somebody to talk to besides a parent whos going to command you on how your life should go. Good Luck, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Heather
ikesdoll@yahoo.com

I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with, beyond your incorrect belief that it is not a status offense to run away from home in California.

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Quoting California Welfare and Institutions Code - Law of Runaways

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Section 601(a) - Any person under the age of 18 years who persistently or habitually refuses to obey the reasonable and proper orders or directions of his or her parents, guardian, or custodian, or who is beyond the control of that person, or who is under the age of 18 years when he or she violated any ordinance of any city or county of this state establishing a curfew based solely on age is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court which may adjudge the minor to be a ward of the court.

Section 601.5(d) - A minor may be referred to a Youth Referral Center by a parent or guardian, a law enforcement officer, a probation officer, a child welfare agency, or a school, or a minor may self-refer. A minor may be referred to the program if the minor is at least 10 years of age and is believed by the referring source to be at risk of justice system involvement due to chronic disobedience to parents, curfew violations, repeat truancy, incidents of running away from home, experimentation with drugs or alcohol, or other serious behavior problems. Whenever a minor is referred to the program, the Youth Referral Center shall make an initial determination as to whether the minor is engaged in a pattern of at-risk behavior likely to result in future justice system involvement, and, if satisfied that the minor is significantly at risk, the center shall initiate a family assessment. The family assessment shall identify the minor's behavioral problem, the family's circumstances and relationship to the problem, and the needs of the minor or the family in relation to the behavioral problem. The assessment shall be performed using a risk and needs assessment instrument, based on national models of successful youth risk and needs assessment instruments and utilizing objective assessment criteria, as appropriate for the clientele served by the program. At a minimum, the assessment shall include information drawn from interviews with the minor and with the parents or other adults having custody of the minor, and it shall include information on the minor's probation, school, health, and mental health status to the extent such information may be available and accessible.

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Well, I just spoke with sever California Sherrifs and they all told me that it is not illegal for a minor to run away from home anymore. California Voters voted it out. From what it sounds like, her parents are not giving a darn about their daughters welfare, nor the baby. It almost seems to me that if she did want to leave home, they wouldnt try to stop her. I recently called the Sherrifs department on a minor I saw sitting outside of a store begging for money in the rain. They called me back and said it was a situation where the parents and the child agreed to part ways, and that all they could do was direct him to a shelter. He chose not to. I dont know which state your getting this text from, but I spoke with several people right at the source. And besides all I wanted to do was inspire some hope in this young lady. You all keep trying to knock her down. And I think thats pretty crappy.

Point us to the specific initiative.