I have had a 10 year old girl living with us for the past 9 months. The father has not contacted her in any form in over 6 months and the mother just doesn't seem to care. I have provided all of her clothes for school, food, shelter, dental bills, gone to parent/teacher conferences, and anything else that has come up. The only contact with the mother is when I MAKE her call her mother, otherwise we don't hear anything. . The family has moved 5 times in the past 18 months and their current house is close to being condemned. I don't want any money or anything, I would just like to get legal custody. Please advise.

Get the parents to sign custody to you. Or report the parents to CPS for abandonment at will. Since you dont have legal custody how are you able to do the things you are doing? You could be open to lawsuits and arrest.

How did this child come to be in your household? Are you related in any way?

You are playing with fire here. Even if related, you have no right to care for this child. I don't understand how you were allowed to register her for school or authorize medical care without, at the least, legal guardianship. This could as mentioned get you in a lot of legal hot water.

She is the daughter of a friend of the family. Her mother gave me consent for the school and medical but I was not aware of any legal problems that I could get into. I appreciate the heads up. So how should I proceed? Report her to the proper agency?

Do you have that permission in writing? The legal problems come from caring for a child you have no legal right to.

What you probably need to do at this point file for guardianship of the child in your local court.

Consent alone doesnt replace gaurdianship. There are limits on what decisions you are allowed to make before you start crossing lines. Also by getting gaurdianship you may be eligible to get the child on your insurance so those bills can be addressed.

Yes, should not have been allowed to register in school, is this a small town ? Butt yes, if something happened to the child, all sorts of issues can appear quickly.

You will need to get parents to sign over guardianship to you. And have it presented though the courts.

Of course if parents are getting welfare for child, I doubt they will want to do that.

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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

Yes, should not have been allowed to register in school, is this a small town ? Butt yes, if something happened to the child, all sorts of issues can appear quickly.

You will need to get parents to sign over guardianship to you. And have it presented though the courts.

Of course if parents are getting welfare for child, I doubt they will want to do that.

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You are right, they do receive food stamps.So if the parents decline to guardianship then just make the child return to a home where she is neglected?? I am scared.

Then you call in family services. But you can't keep a child you have no legal right to keep.