4 yrs ago my step daughter was taken from her mother by child protective services. She was and still is on drugs. Myself and her father now have custody of her. She is now 9 years old. During the time that the case was open, she had seen her child very little. When she did spend time with the mother the daughter came home and it took her days to calm down. She has ADHD. Her mother also has 2 other children that she did sign her rights away to her grandmother. The other 2 kids have different dads. Her bio mom travels with the carnival (no lie) and has not seen or spoken to the child in over a year. Can my husband and I apply to have her rights taken away? Do we have any chance of getting her rights taken away? If so, where do we start?:confused: :confused:

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Originally Posted by Bryanna1

4 yrs ago my step daughter was taken from her mother by child protective services. She was and still is on drugs. Myself and her father now have custody of her. She is now 9 years old. During the time that the case was open, she had seen her child very little. When she did spend time with the mother the daughter came home and it took her days to calm down. She has ADHD. Her mother also has 2 other children that she did sign her rights away to her grandmother. The other 2 kids have different dads. Her bio mom travels with the carnival (no lie) and has not seen or spoken to the child in over a year. Can my husband and I apply to have her rights taken away? Do we have any chance of getting her rights taken away? If so, where do we start?:confused: :confused:

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What rights do you want taken away from the mother? Visitation? Yes, you can go to Court and have her visitation taken away IF she is a danger to the child and you have proof.

Her lifestyle may be, at best, unusual, but she would have to be abusive and it would appear she has lost custody but does have Court-ordered visitation - which she does not exercise.

The court order is as follows: The mother may have visitation as the father allows. In other words it's up to my husband.

What does the court order say on legal custody ? You already have full physical custody and control over the child. What more did you want? Also are you receiving child support from the mom ?

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Originally Posted by Bryanna1

The court order is as follows: The mother may have visitation as the father allows. In other words it's up to my husband.

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Why are you trying to change it? It doesn't really get any better than what you already have.

If your husband - not you, you have no legal standing - doesn't want the mother to see the child, he just says "no" and that's the end.

She does not pay any support. We don't need or want it. I guess I feel that I have raised her, stablized her, made her feel the love I have for her. I'm afraid of the threat of her bio mother. My husband said the only way the bio mother would ever see the daughter would be at our house with both of us here.

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Originally Posted by Bryanna1

She does not pay any support. We don't need or want it. I guess I feel that I have raised her, stablized her, made her feel the love I have for her. I'm afraid of the threat of her bio mother. My husband said the only way the bio mother would ever see the daughter would be at our house with both of us here.

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I don'tsee any grounds for taking away her parental rights and see no benefit to you in attempting to do so. You did say that you and your husband have custody and that is unusual - usually it's only the natural guardian (birth parent) and not that parent's spouse.