Unfit Mother: Different Situation

BlueMoon777 · #1 Nov 25, 2007, 09:58 PM

I know someone that has children and she, the mother, has custody of the children. However, due to divorce, no child support, she couldn't take care of the children, therefore, placed them in a children's home.

Remember, she still has custody of the children. However, when she gets the children on weekends, holidays, etc., she drinks, talks terrible, meaning uses bad language in front of the children, and doesn't care what kind of movies the children watch with her at home. She is definitely an alcoholic, but it doesn't seem to bother her at all to drink around them and curse.

Is there anyway that someone else in the family can get custody of the children, at least until they finish high school/turning 18?

The family has not wanted to do this but the drinking is getting worse and the family is getting more and more concerned. We would still like for the children to see their mother but possibly with supervised visitation.

Any comments/answers?

This will be in SC. Thank you so much,

BlueMoon777

Angel_Wings · Nov 25, 2007, 10:11 PM

She has to be reported to Child Protective Services.
There will be an investigation.
Children may be placed in foster care
(unless that's what you mean by children's home?)

Family members can contact CPS with request that they be given guardianship
and/or become foster parents themselves.

If at all possible, it's better if a family member can talk Mom into giving them guardianship until she can get herself straightened out.

Hope this helps.

simoneaugie · Nov 25, 2007, 10:17 PM

There are supervised visitation situations. An example would be a two hour visit by the mom in a safe setting. A social worker may be able to help you negotiate a strategy.

Please, don't wait. The danger to the kids is very real. Bad language won't "hurt" them but if she's drunk, or getting drunk while the kids are with her, she cannot be a good mother to them. Kids do crazy things when mom is too inebriated to really care. They may do something as innocent as walk to the corner market, alone. They might try to cook. They could wander behind the car and get run over by the person backing down the driveway.



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