[nickiyoung09]

I'm 21 yrs old and I live in Georgia my parents aren't taking good care of her they are on drugs really bad and just won't quit and I don't know what to do except try to get custody I have a steady job and I live with my other sister she is 18 and she has a job and we will be more than able to care for her she just turned 15 and all I want to know is if the courts will allow us to get custody of her

[JudyKayTee]

You really don't know until you file a Petition for Custody and see how the Court rules. Would your parents simply agree to make you your sister's guardian, thereby sidestepping the Petition/Hearing?

[nickiyoung09]

JudyKayTee my parents won't give up custody of her. They think me and my sister are over reacting because they think they don't have a problem. Well actually I think my dad wouldn't care who has her but my mom will never agree with us having custody. They have been blowing all their money on drugs and it has gotten so bad that they aren't paying any of their bills they are in debt and my little sisters birthday was a month ago and I bought her a new cell phone, perfume,and some nike shox and my parents didn't get her anything they didn't even buy her a birthday cake and I gave my little sister her presents and my mom lost it and cussed me out for letting her open up her presents. I pay mine and my sisters cell phone bill so I don't know why she just flipped out it might have been because she is on drugs I don't know but ever since that happened I haven't talked to my mom and my little sister has been staying with me for a month now and my little siister has even told me that she wants to live with us. I am currently going back to college and I still work full time and my other sister is going to college to become a nurse and she has a part time job so I know we can take care of her. I truly believe she will be better off with me and my other sister. The only thing I am really concerned about is having my little sister stand in front of the judge and tell him/her that she wants to live with us because she is afraid my parents will never forgive her and won't talk to her anymore and she doesn't want to loose them. We are all disappointed in them and we will always love them but my little sister can't stay in this environment. Im scared that my parents are going to get caught and arrested and then what so I just want to get this over with before my little sister has to go through the embarrassment for her because we live in a small town and if it does happen every one will find out. All I want is what is best for her and from what has been going on this past year she will best off with me.

[JudyKayTee]

If you can prove your allegations I would say you have a very good chance at custody. I am just concerned about what you can prove.

What is your "gut" instinct about this? Your sister has to be in danger in order to be placed with you - physical or mental. Do you think you can prove that with specific facts and incidents?

She is lucky to have you - a side issue, but she is.

[nickiyoung09]

Yes I can prove that they are on drugs my dad leaves the straws that he snorts with all over their house and I know where he hides his drugs at too and if that doesn't work I know who he buys the drugs from he has 3 suppliers because he use to talk on the phone with them when I was over there at their house and I was listening to them they are my dads bestfriends I've known these guys for years and now I am begininning to believe he's been doing drugs since we where little kids and I think ever since he started hanging out with this guy named paul who is one of his childhood friends that its gotten worse and worse since my dad started hanging out with him. And whatever my dad does my mom has been doing I don't want my little sister to be around crackheads. My dad snorts his stuff in the bathroom and if I have to I will get my little sister to put a camera in their bathroom and it will be on camera and then they won't be able to deny it. They use to be loving parents they would do and give us anything we wanted but now its like they don't care anymore like they don't care about anything but doing drugs and that's a difficult thing to cope with when you are living with them and its hard to deal with because they are my parents and I love them I just like what they are doing to me and my family and themselves if they keep this up they are going to die or have an overdose and when that happens my little sister don't need to be there. I have a 3 bedroom 2 bath house I live in a gated community it's a very safe place and my sisters won't ever have to worry about me doing drugs and my middle sister won't ever do drugs either whiile she is going to school to become a nurse she is also working part time at the hospital and besides my little sister going to college to become a nurse is the most important thing to her and she will never do anything to ruin that she's a very smart girl and I'm so proud that she is doing that and the thing is she had loving parents encouraging her to go and do that until about a year and a half ago but that didn't stop her she earned a scholarship and I am very proud of her for everything she is doing with her life I've never met anyone who works as hard as her and we love a little sister and want the best for her if my parents would kick their drug habbit it wouldn't be so bad but we cried and begged them to do it I've even told them that I would pay for them to go to rehab but they won't listen right now the only thing they care about is getting high and staying high! My little sister only has 4 more years tili she will be graduated from high school and she has great grades and many friends she gets along with everyone but lately her grades have droppped and she doesn't hang out with her friends as much and I'm scared that my parents are going to ruin her life.

[ScottGem]

First, please pay more attention or posting guidelines. The Children form (where this was originally posted) has a Read First sticky that directs legal questions to this forum.

As I see it you have two options. The first would be to file in your local family court for guardianship of your sister. This could mean a court battle that could be expensive.

I thionk your better option is to go to your local Family Services agency and report the problems. Let them know that you and your sister are willing and eager to foster your younger sister. There is a good chance, that they will do that.