Moving In With Family Friends Or Relatives

[ashhhley]

okay im 15 1/2, i live in ohio with my dad. He has never really been there for me. he always shoved me off on other relative but these last couple years he regained custody of me so i've been living with him. He lives in a housing devolement where he pays no rent and very little utilitys. for the last year he was away on a job several hours away so i tooks turns living either with my brother or my aunt or grandma. now he lost that job and he's back where he started except this time he's getting a unemployment check except all of it goes towards drugs. our gas and phone were shut off and thats illigal for where we live and theres never no money for food my grandma just buys the food. and it most likley is gonna stay that way unless he gets a job, which he'd travel far away. and i'd just be the same as last year.

and well i have a step family in california who has always been there for me so we dont consider the "step" i just know them as mom and sisters and brothers. and i also have my biological grandparents out here in claifornia ( thats where i am now for the summer) and they all have the recourses of taking good care of me and providing me with everything..not to mention they dont blow there money on drugs. and they all want me to live out here with one of them but my dad refuses to let me, "just because he's my dad and he want me to live with him", is there anyway i can get around that? what would happen if i just stayed out here? what could he do..he doesnt have no money, barley any utilities and if the housing people find the gas thing out we wont have a place to live either..and if he were to get a job i'd be alone again. and im almost 16 can i say iw ant to live out here?

[aaron]

If your home environment is unsafe, consider notifying child protective services.

You probably already know that the only way for a minor to emancipate in Ohio is through lawful marriage or active duty military service. It is anything but easy for a third party to bring a legal action to interfere with a parent's custody of his or her child.

You don't mention your mother - she's not available to seek custody?

[ashhhley]

no she's not. i dont really know her but my father re married when i was little and i have a step mom who raises me mostly, her and my dad seperated so i never even regonized the "steps" and so if i just stayed here my father could make me come back?

[aaron]

Yes, as he has custody and you're a minor.

[ashhhley]

okay, thast what i thought but even under the circumstances he's in with no utilities, no money, and a drug user?

[cbg]

He's still your father; he still has custody; you're still a minor.

Yes, even if.

[ashhhley]

okay so say if i stayed and if he went to the police with his backround of arrests and drug use and the way he is living and there are other people who witnes him wasting all his money on crack i'd still be forced to live with him?

[ashhhley]

and if we went to like social services or children services and told them about it is there anything they could do? please reply soon!

[cbg]

It doesn't matter how many times you ask the question; the answer is going to be the same.

He is your father; you are a minor; he has custody. Until someone goes to court and successfully has custody taken away from him and granted to someone else, you live with him. Period. End of story.