question about my 7 year ols step daughter?

Question

my 7 year old step daughter always cries and wants to come and live with her daddy. her daddy and i get her every weekend. she says her mommy and her boyfriend (who is an alcoholic) smoke weed and drink all the time she has missed 14 days of 1rst grade this year and has been tardy 24 times. her mom nor her boyfriend work they live off the government foodstamps tanif medicaid everything. we have called child protection services but they call before they come out and they just clean up b4 they come. We have contacted an attorney and they all act like since we have no actual proof of drug abuse we would not win the case. my step daughter is miserable all she does is cry and beg us not make her go home. our seven year old now also has to repeat the first grade because her mother does not make it a priority to get her to school. my husband and i do not know what to do. any suggestions or help would be appreciated thanks

i forgot to also mention she has had lice more than 14 times in the past 18 months. her mother does not spend the child support on her she is always dressed in clothes too small she is 7 and will be 8 in aug and her mother puts her in 5t clothes. is all this grounds to get emergency custody or does she have to be extremely abused to get this.

her mother will nor let her come live with us because she already has 2 other kids by the boyfriend she is with now. if she let her live with us her foodstamp money would go dowan and so would everything else. My husband and I also have a 3 yr old together and i am 34 weeks pregant he and i both go to school part time. will this hurt us in a court case. we want to better our lives to give all our children the best life possible. I have known my step daughter since she was 18 months old so she and i are close. this may pose a threat to the mother because she knows her daughter is so close to me. but if she was any mother at all she would put away her own selfish thoughts and doings for the sake of her daughter. my husband is just in total sadness because of his daughter. We have contacted other attorneys. And i do have recordings of her saying her mother smokes weed, is this enough to take to the police at all

Answer 1

I'd have her father contact the school, since he is a biological father. Have him meet with the school conselor, or the school psychiatrist and ask that person to talk with his daughter. If the school refuses due to the fact of a divorce and he wasn't provided custody, then I'd get the girl into conseling services of other sorts. This way you're showing an effort that you believe there really is something wrong. Also get the girl on tape admitting to these things. Get proof of it in every way. Because the confessions of a seven year old are much greater than the confessions of the parent(s) who aren't there. Talk with the school principal and counselor though, if the girl is to repeat the first grade due to absences, then there is obviously a problem with the adults she resides with. Talk to a different attourney though. Because there is proof that there is something going on in the home that isn't right. The girl is missing too many days of school. They are unexcused absences. The mother and boyfriend are endangering this little girl. Also if there is proof of abuse of any sort towards the girl (this could very well happen due to the situation) keep your eyes peeled for it, don't let the slightest thing escape. Make a police report immediately of any sort of abuse towards this little girl. Talk with the police department of the area. Find out their procedures on situations with drug abuse in a household. Find out what kind of proof is needed before they'll search the premises, and/or remove the child from the home.
Don't you dare give up. You do all you can to help this little girl, just for the sake of the innocense whom can not stand up for themselves. But couseling is great for in the courtroom. If a psychiatrist can diagnose the household as an unfit household, the mother stands a great chance at losing the child.

Answer 2

Don't call CPS anymore, Call 911 and tell them you believe the child is in eminent danger. They will have no choice but to do a well visit, unannounced. I'm sort of surprised the school hasn't stepped in. 14 days absent and 24 days tardy is very excessive.
I would think that the attorneys could ask for some kind of modification for the simple fact this child is missing so much school and has failed a grade already. Maybe stop trying to prove drug use and try to prove neglect instead.

Has the father tried to talk to the mother about possibly getting his daughter. Maybe she would be willing to let her live with her dad? That's a tough situation.

Answer 3

Write down everything your daughter tells you about her bio-mom and her living conditions. Write down every time she is late or absent from school. Keep a log of EVERYTHING!

Also, talk to different attorneys and get the child a counselor. Talk to her doctor, too. With the medical support that the child is obviously stressed, you should be able to find an attorney that will help you get full custody of the child.

But, you need to be prepared that you may not be able to change anything. Continue being a stable influence in her life and pray for her. Too many times I have seen the courts give bad rulings in custody cases to be sure you will be able to ever get full custody of her.

Answer 4

You really should get an attorney... if a 7 year old knows what smoking weed is... then that is a very bad situation. I would do everything that I could to get her out of there. When you try and fight for custody... the judge will talk with your daughter and ask her about things, and once a judge hears that she knows things that she shouldn't, he will make the best decision for her...

Answer 5

Get a new lawyer. Take a camera/camcorder for each pick up and document yourself. Get her school records...if there are no medical records to coincide with the missed days then thats something.

Weed takes 11 wks to clean out your system...order a drug test. and GET A LAWYER WITH BALLS!!!!

OR watch that little girl grow up to become a user teenage mother with more than one std.

Answer 6

I would get an attorney and see what you can do legally. It is very unfortunate how the government does not put our children in their best interest and follow through on leads.

Good for you all for trying to protect her. Stay on it and don't give up until you get her in your custody.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Tape record what she has to say without you pumping her for answers. I would still get an attorney and fight for custody of her even if you have to get children's services involved.

Answer 8

Document everything, get pictures , audio, write things down, an lawyer if he's good should take it seriously and ask for a drug test.

Answer 9

eventually CPS will be contacted by the school for her frequent tardies and let us hope CPS does an unanounced visit to see them smoking and drinking and the house all topsy turvy~

Answer 10

Poor little kid. Maybe an attorney can help you. I would tell CPS not to notify them before they come out.