MarinaDelRay
New Member
- Jurisdiction
- Missouri
Hello,
Is there anyway I, or my older siblings could gain sole or shared (among ourselves) custody of our younger siblings?
I am 22, my sisters are 24 and 25, and my older brother is 26. None of us are more than $5,000 in debt, we all have good to excellent credit (if that means anything here), we all have fairly good jobs and are mentally sound. Already my 25 year old sister has been my younger siblings primary guardian since my younger sisters birth 9 years ago.
My three younger siblings (sister - 9, brother - 8, and another brother - 2) are currently living with our parents who I no longer believe are fit to raise them. My father suffers from OCD and other undiagnosed mental disorders that he refuses to seek help for and also refuses to leave my mother who is now, I fear, so emotionally screwed that she is no longer capable of caring for my younger siblings.
My mother has stated both publicly and privately that she no longer loves her family and wishes to have a new one with another man she knows. She views her family as a "prison" and has said so multiple times. She often leaves the house for hours at a time for "work", leaving my siblings in either my or one my two older sisters' care. When she is at home, if I or another older sibling didn't stop over to cook for them, then my younger siblings would have to fend for themselves. More than once, when I would stop by their house this summer I would ask when my then 1 year old brother had eaten and she would have no idea. He had eaten that day, sure, but what she didn't know. Whatever my older sister had made him earlier?
She has no real bonds with any of my younger siblings, has no inkling what their interests are, how they are doing in school, who their friends are, or what their overall mental and emotional state is like.
As for my father, his main problem is his refusal to seek mental help. This has put a strain on my younger siblings especially in the last year. He is not, however, abusive. But he does share my mothers overall lack of interest in my siblings lives.
The past year, my parents relationship has deteriorated badly, and they have some rather nasty (though non-physical) fights. My 9 year old sister has probably suffered the most from their constant fighting. I honestly don't feel able to go into that fully though right now.
Is there anyway I, or my older siblings could gain sole or shared (among ourselves) custody of our younger siblings?
I am 22, my sisters are 24 and 25, and my older brother is 26. None of us are more than $5,000 in debt, we all have good to excellent credit (if that means anything here), we all have fairly good jobs and are mentally sound. Already my 25 year old sister has been my younger siblings primary guardian since my younger sisters birth 9 years ago.
My three younger siblings (sister - 9, brother - 8, and another brother - 2) are currently living with our parents who I no longer believe are fit to raise them. My father suffers from OCD and other undiagnosed mental disorders that he refuses to seek help for and also refuses to leave my mother who is now, I fear, so emotionally screwed that she is no longer capable of caring for my younger siblings.
My mother has stated both publicly and privately that she no longer loves her family and wishes to have a new one with another man she knows. She views her family as a "prison" and has said so multiple times. She often leaves the house for hours at a time for "work", leaving my siblings in either my or one my two older sisters' care. When she is at home, if I or another older sibling didn't stop over to cook for them, then my younger siblings would have to fend for themselves. More than once, when I would stop by their house this summer I would ask when my then 1 year old brother had eaten and she would have no idea. He had eaten that day, sure, but what she didn't know. Whatever my older sister had made him earlier?
She has no real bonds with any of my younger siblings, has no inkling what their interests are, how they are doing in school, who their friends are, or what their overall mental and emotional state is like.
As for my father, his main problem is his refusal to seek mental help. This has put a strain on my younger siblings especially in the last year. He is not, however, abusive. But he does share my mothers overall lack of interest in my siblings lives.
The past year, my parents relationship has deteriorated badly, and they have some rather nasty (though non-physical) fights. My 9 year old sister has probably suffered the most from their constant fighting. I honestly don't feel able to go into that fully though right now.
