My daughters half sister whom I raised until she was 10 wants to moves out of her dads. He has custody of her however has severe anger issues, drinks a lot and smokes pot. This 17 year old girl locks herself in her room and is very depressed. There is mental abuse going on and the girl would like to move out. If she took this to court and I offered to take her in would this work on the grounds of neglect and or abuse? This house is not a safe or emotionally stable environment which is why I left years ago with our in common daughter. Any advice to get this child here with me? She is desperate and wants out and I love her like my own and am more than willing to take her.

Where is this child's mother ? She should be the one asking to take the child.

You will need to get social services ( child welfare) involved, any other family that is actually related may have better chance of custody.

At 17, by time a case could get to court most likely she would be 18 by then anyway for emancipation

Perhaps if she considered trying to become an emancipated minor? That might take some of the complexity out of the case. You can always offer her that safe haven if she can get emancipated.

You cannot take her in without court approval. Otherwise you can be cited for parental interference. So Chuck's advice on getting social services involved is the way to go. You can go with her to file a complaint and let them know you are willing to foster her. She can also go to a school counselor to get the ball rolling.

Given her age, since she can do what she wants in less than a year, this should be fairly cut and dried.

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Originally Posted by Mommi

Perhaps if she considered trying to become an emancipated minor? That might take some of the complexity out of the case. You can always offer her that safe haven if she can get emancipated.

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Mommi, you have been giving good advice so far, but this is wrong. Not all areas allow emancipation. And those areas that do have very stringent requirements to grant it. The minor will need to show they can live on their own. As Chuck noted, the girl would probably reach 18 in the time it would take to establish emancipation so the point would be moot.

ScottGem - Thank you for letting me know. I was trying to figure out how to private message you and tell you so I didn't further clutter this thread, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet.

Jezza77- sorry for cluttering the thread, apparently I was shooting my mouth off. I wish I could help you.

Minnesota has no emanicipation laws... her real mom lost her to her dad when she was 3 years of age through social services due to abuse and neglect... dad has sole physical custody. Im just wondering if she took it to court and provided proof of his anger and drug use if they would allow her to voluntarily leave the house provided that another adult is willing to assume responsibility?

No, If she is a minor, and can prove abuse they will put her in foster care until she old enough to go out on her own.

You could apply to and through the foster care program to attempt to take her in, Children's services at times lets other family members take the children in, but she may just be put in any foster home.

Now, of course if things are really as bad as you say, why not report and let her go to a foster home, would that not be safer and better ?