My question involves a child custody case from the State of: PA
My 16 year old step-daughter's mother has summer visitation with her from the end of the school to the week before school starts. We were just notified that she failed 4 courses and has been recommended to take summer classes. She needs 3 credits to be a Junior next year. 1/2 of the credit was from her 9th grade year that she carried over (this seems to be a pattern). Her father and I STRONGLY believe she should take the courses over the summer or she will be right back here next year. What are our rights? Her mother is not going to agree with the recommendation because she never considers the best interest of her child, only her own inconvenience. I think that 2 of the classes are online, which she might be able to do at her mom's (but they cost $275 each). We were thinking of working it out with her to pay half and she can spend the summer there. There is one class that is not online that is recommended as well. The school has said that they can probably work something out to include those classes for next year (which is what they did this year for the two classes she failed last year). Her case manager at school (she has an IEP for learning disabilities) said that she would still be a Sophomore until she earned those credits. Also, the case manager told me that my step-daughter told her she would "just go to school for another year."
Regardless of the IEP, my step-daughter was quite capable of passing these classes. She did not do the work.
I need to understand my husband's rights as the custodial parent. He does have shared legal custody with her mother. The mother has also been lax in following her visitation over the years. We do not have a child support arrangement because she does not make that much money (and actually feel bad) - I know, she should be paying anyway. As a side note, her mother just asked us if we would put her on a bus to VA instead of picking her up because she is 16 now (grrr)!
Any immediate help is appreciated. Need to know if I should contact a lawyer.
Thanks!!
Shannon

