[jesserka]

Im 24 years old with a 12 year old sister who is very unhappy living with my ex-step mother. She seems depressed and is doing very poorly in school the last several years. My sister has written me emails expressing her desire to live with me because she feels she would be in a loving, healthy, save, secure home... all of which she does not have with her mother. My father died when she was only 4 years old and my ex-step mother receives almost 2,000 dollars a month in SSI. This is the main reason in my eyes that she would not allow my sister to live with me, because she would lose that money and hasn't had a job until about 2 years ago. My sister is exposed to everyone in the household smoking marijuana several times daily. She tells me that she smells it, sees it and has even seen her mother doing it while driving her from VW to PA. My sister also tells me that there is never food in the house and sometimes her mother doesn't even give her lunch money. She also has had her heat turned off in the winter and left town for my sister to sit in a cold house alone with no food. My ex-step mother also hangs out with a younger, bad crowd and this concerns me. One of her ex's just went to jail for murder... so I don't like my sister being around men like that! The list could go on with this woman and her bad parenting skills. I feel I could provide my sister with a loving environment. Do I have a shot in winning this if I would take her mother to jail? Sorry so long but I hope someone can help me... and where do I start. I don't have a lot of money for a lawyer. Are there free lawyers who can help me??

[ScottGem]

I moved this to Family Law, because you don't really want to adopt, you just want guardianship so she can live with you.

What you are going to need to do is contact the local children's services agency. Let them know you fear for your sister's safety and that you are willing to have her come live with you.

Let them investigate the situation and see what happens.

By the way, where is the bio mother.

[jesserka]

Thank you for your help... I will definitely work on finding someone to talk to from children's services. She lives with her bio mother, but its my step-mom. We are half sisters.

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes and where is your and her dad, what does he say, where is he when everyone leaves town and leaves her.

But all of these reports will have to be proven, is her health bad from not being feed, and so on.

[ScottGem]

Yes and where is your and her dad, what does he say, where is he when everyone leaves town and leaves her.

Ummm

My father died when she was only 4 years old