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  1. #1

    Default Custody of a Sibling

    I am from Schuylkill county Pennsylvania, I spoke with children and youth in my county today. I have not heard back from them, but from the way she is talking, she is telling me that because my sister is living with me at this point and she is 16, they may not be able to do anything. I always thought that if a child was under 18, and you did not have parental permission, you could get in trouble for taking the child into your home. I would rather not leave that possibility open if my dad would decide to try to take her back.

    Emotional abuse is easily proven, I have a message on my answering machine waiting for someone to listen to right now from the incident that prompted me to take this action. The reason she is living with me is because of repeated abuse, though not physical. My dad is an alcoholic, he continually verbally abused her, and because I have always tried to keep my family together, I took her in, and didn't get children and youth involved at that time. It was a completely unsafe environment for her, he was up till all hours of the night, drunk, blasting music, yelling at her for stuff when she was trying to sleep for school. Blaming her repeatedly for things, for example my uncle stole a gun, and a box of old coins that belonged to my mom soon after her death because he had refused to speak with us and decided to break into my dad's house. At first my dad blamed my sister, and for weeks screamed at her, about where is the gun, how do i know you're not going to go to school and shoot people, along with name calling, constantly on her about it, I heard it with my own ears on the phone talking to my dad, as well as my sister crying her eyes out to me on the phone. That's only one example of many, and at this point, I need the piece of mind that he cannot take her back and cannot hurt her anymore.

    Also, basically the only way I am able to take care of her at this point is because my dad has been forwarding me her social security. She is getting survivor's benefits because of my mom's death in Oct 2005, that are in her name, in care of my dad. I don't know if he will continue to send it, and I want to know if children and youth cannot help me, if there is something I can do legally to get her social security sent here, or demand some kind of financial help. Thank you in advance.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Custody of a Sibling

    Laws governing "harboring a runaway" typically require that you hide the runaway from law enforcement and/or the parents in order to be prosecuted. As in your situation, everybody knows where the child is, and as CPS has apparently (at least tacitly) deemed your home to be a suitable environment, those laws should not be an issue for you.

    You can explore with your county court the procedure for getting a formal guardianship which, if granted, should enable you to be awarded child support.

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