[pia.navarro518]

What are the legal liabilities of both parents who abandon their children? My brother left his children with his common law wife. After several months, his wife brought his children to our parents under the pretense that she would be looking for a job but never came back. My parents tried contacting my brother's wife but she replied by saying that she would be taking her children back only when she gets a job. She said that since my brother left her, that it was my parents and my (as the sister) to take care of her children. My parents are both in their 70s and are not capable of taking care of small children. I am married and have 2 children of my own. What can my parents and I do to make at least the mother ( my brother is a drug-addict) take responsibility of her children since she is staying with a relative who is financially capable of helping her? Please advise.

[JudyKayTee]

I don't know what you mean by taking responsibility for the children.

If there is no one who can care for them, support them, nourish them, then Child Protective Services should be contacted and the children should be put in the care/custody of the State/County. That Government agency will pursue the issues with the parents (both your brother and his wife).

Someone has to be looking out for the children and I realize there is no one in the family who can.