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nessa317 · Apr 14, 2009, 12:57 PM

My husband and I would like to get custody of his 11yr old brother. We are both 22 with three kids of our own. Young, I know, but we know we could provide him with stability, moral guidance, and love. His parents (my husband and him share the same mother) have been in and out of jail, homeless, addicts... all of it for all his life. He has gone from home to home. He has lived with us before... for a year here and six months there. During that time, he was receiving A's and B's in school and was in honor classes, we helped him with homework, did fun family activities, monitored what he listened to or watched, and just tried to show him what a good family structure was all around. But his parents always seem to interfere with things being consistent in his life. They signed temporary custody over to us and didn't give us one dime the entire time he lived with us to help us out. When we asked for custody(something we realize is a big decision, not to be taken lightly)they say "He's my son..." "I'll never do that." "He will think I wont love him anymore..." And make it about them even if it's best for him. Right now he is staying with strangers his father met through jail, his father is in jail and his mother is jobless and staying with a meth dealer/user. Is there anyway we can adopt him even though his parents won't terminate their rights? We don't have thousands to spend on a lawyer either. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. We live in Colorado if that helps

Synnen · Apr 14, 2009, 03:09 PM

Call Child Protective Services.

Get THEM to take the children away from your husband's mother and stepfather.

I mean, you DO have proof of the horrible things they do, right?

If you have proof, then NO PROBLEM! The state will come take him away, and then put him in foster care. At that point, you can apply for guardianship/custody as a close relative.

Really, though--get a lawyer. If you want it done RIGHT, so that it can't be overturned, and so that your time and efforts aren't for nothing--get a lawyer. The expense of one is worth it when it comes to a kid's LIFE.