My sister in law has been messing up for years! Just recently she left Ohio and went to Arizona, now she is the primary parent of her daughter's, but she stole a car to go... Took her kids on a drug run... Went with no money, she couldn't feed them, she got there with her druggy boyfriend and his friend and had no money to come back or take care of her kids! On top of that she lives here in housing and got her gas and electric shut off and can't get them turned on... So when we finally got her back here she comes back and has been evicted so she now has no where to live with her kids... Her and her boyfriend (who is not her kids dad) are addicts and don't care at all. But I believe she keeps them because she gets welfare and housing for them! But the worst part is her teenage daughter has been on probation twice for not going to school... She's left the kids at home for hours without electric and gas and with no food! Recently we were called by the teenager Bc her mom had been gone at a hotel for hours and she was scared and alone and afraid something happened to her mom... So of course once again we go and get both girls and the teenager gets here and starts crying and spilling everything going on at their house... She said her mom's bf's friend is wanted by the FBI (which I found out he is), she said she is always left to watch her sister, and the thing that sticks out that she said was that her mom is jealous of her and the boyfriend (my sister in law is jealous of her boyfriend spending any time with her daughter! Even if they are talking she said her mom freaks out! Now is it just me or does this sound wrong?? I thought at first I took it the wrong way... But then I confronted my sister in law and she said that my niece is the one that is jealous of her being alone with her boyfriend! Now the way she said it was like she is competing with her 14 yr old daughter for her boyfriend's attention! But on a different subject the boyfriend is an at home tattoo artist also and not only has put tattoos all over my sister in law but has also tattooed my 14 yr old niece! She has tattoos all over her arms, on her neck, and on her legs and I believe on her chest! That is grounds for neglect too right? He doesn't have a license to tattoo he just decided one day to ask his mommy to buy him a tattoo gun and ink and my sister in law tells me she gave him permission to tattoo my niece! We live in Ashtabula, Ohio is that legal if the parent says it's OK for her 14 yr old to get more than 10 tattoos? I just am really looking for some advice on what to do? Where do we even start on trying to get emergency custody?? Oh they do have a dad that pays child support, but he lives in Deleware and has absolutely no contact with them, has only met my youngest niece 1 time (she's 7 years old now), even has had two DNA tests done (and both tests came back that she is his) because he swears that she isn't his! I have read up a little bit on custody and know that courts look at all different options, including the fact that Ashtabula, Ohio is their home but it's all the youngest niece knows, she was born here (my sister in law left their dad because she was being physically and mentally abused, he had told her to get an abortion with the youngest daughter Bc he didn't want anymore kids! That's why she left him and moved back here to be around family). I have no idea how the law works here I this situation? The girls home is here, their schools and lives are here! I am just worried Bc their dad has said all along he doesn't want them, but I'm really scared that, if I open up all of this, that he will want them... Which if he was an active roll in their lives I would say that he has every right to them Bc I'm a huge believer in every parent has that right, but with him making no attempt to even know his daughter's, having no contact with them, and really honestly not wanting to even know his kids I don't think he will even want to take custody of them... Someone please help with some advice... Am I just opening up more than I can handle? Am I stupid in thinking the dad won't take them (which I believe in my heart if he took them it would be so he wouldn't have to pay child support anymore, and before anyone thinks I'm not giving him a chance I swear on everything I have given him so many chances! We have offered to drive the girls all the way there for him to see them, I have even said that we would bring them there and drive all the way back to get them!). I finally a year ago stopped even trying to help him see his kids... He should want to Bc I know that I would move heaven and earth to see my kids and have always put my kids and nieces and nephews before myself! Please someone help:( thank you in advance for any and all advice I hope for my nieces sake that we can take them and make a safe and happy home for them just like we already do for our own kids.

The children need to be taken out of their home, your home does not appear to be a proper place either.

You get the parents of the children to sign guardianship over to you, ask them, if they agree, hire an attorney who will do the paper work

The place to start is with the local Family Services agency. Its not clear whether they are in OH or AZ now. But wherever they are is who you report it to.

Let the case worker know you are willing to take them.