How Can I Get Custody of a Child That Is Not Mine?

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QUESTION:

"How do I gain custody of a child that is not mine? My fiancé wants to care for his niece and I told him if he wants to take care of her then we need to get custody of her because I am done. She has lice, and I’m talking like an infestation. It has been going on a year now, and I’ve made it very clearly I’m not okay with it I think it’s disgusting, it’s completely contagious and I am at my wits end. I don’t want my three girls with beautiful long hair to get it. I tie everyone’s hair up and mainly stay at the park so we aren’t at home. It’s not her fault she is only 3 and does not understand. They’re so lazy they shaved half her head for “thinning” but truly it’s because they’re so f-ing lazy they don’t want to care for her hair. She doesn’t understand to “wipe” due to never being taught. She has no clothes that fit except what I give them for hand me downs or what we have bought. Has zero shoes that fit her to the point I bought her a pair and she literally said “but aunty these shoes are little.” I said no baby there’s shoes fit you feet hunny. Like I don’t know what to do and I love this girl. But it’s been over a year and nothing had changed and I’m to the point either we take custody of her or we stop putting our kids at risk for bugs. Call me bad or rude or whatever but I care about my child’s hair. I just would rather take her in than let her suffer the way she is. Any tips ideas I don’t know what to do. I’ve said many things to her parents they just do not care !!!"

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TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):

The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.

"Well her parents need to be seen as unfit. Get CPS involved."

"I guess I would probably start with public health or DHS. Or a lawyer. Then go by their recommendations."

"You gotta get a lawyer. Take the parents to court and go infront of a judge saying why the parents shouldn’t have the child and you should"

"Take her in for a treatment. There are places for that. Your fiancé will have to go to court to prove her parents unfit. Talk to a lawyer to see what he needs to do."

"Call child protective services and hire a family law attorney"

"Depending on where your located there’s are many different ways to approach it but first I would speak to a family law lawyer. Most likely a petition to the courts for custody"

"Document all this. Take pictures of the kids hair, clothes, shoes, everything you can to prove a case. I would start now on documenting everything"

"Talk to them. Ask if you can take her for a year so they can relax and get their lives on track. If they agree, during the year document their visits and interactions with the child then file for custody. If they dont care or make an effort then they might very well just hand her over."

"Don’t involve dcfs just get a lawyer. An you have to have proof of everything"

"File for guardianship, then go from there. Cps will check both homes and see what’s going on. Start taking pictures and documentation of everything. Exact dates, take her to urgent care and have them state it’s an infestation. Cross you t’s and dot you i’s"

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