legal guardianship of step daughter

[joanne1]

I am in need of obtaining legal guardianship of my step-daughter whom I have been mom for 2/ 3/4 years. My daughter is her best friend . They are both in same classes, and 6th grade Jr. high. her frather my soon to ex-husband is incarcerated for domestci violence. 3rd time. Her biological mother lost all parental rights many many(9) years ago and is still on drugs. Her father is an alcoholic. His fathers house- her grandfather is also and his home is used as a drunk fest daily. I am the only one who provides for her and can raise her properly. I have her in religious eduacation classes. Jazzercise. And now the last few years she is experiencing a semi-normal lifeI say semi due to the drunken outbursts and fatherly tantrums.When he isnt around we all have such a nice time and it is mor relaxing and calming. My daughter and her are together all the time they get along 90 % of time. She considers me her mom.I love her and she loves me, She knows and want to lives with me because I can provide for her. ands he gets to experience life now instead of living on a couch with drunks always around.And also there are always 4 to 5 cigarettes going at most itmes. she has allergys due to that and begins to sneeze and get congested when staying there.(grandfathers house 1 bedroom).Father cannot keep a job and i feel this time hell be away a long time. I was awarded 5 day custody since his arrest. how can I make it a permanent guardianship. I am afraid when her father gets out this time he wont come home and willwant revenge buy taking her away to his dads house.or we go to court he will try to take her or place her with his father.Very unsuitable and not in my stepdaughters best interest. What are my rights as her mother who loves her. There is no one else in the family that could take her. The girls want to stay together. I have no problem letting her see he grandfather or father once and if he is released as long as they are not drunk(which is a daily Process by 2pm) she needs to live with me. My husbands family is very violent(stabbing gun shots) and I always teach her to break the mold from that. Please help me. Before he goes to court. I need to know since he is in jail and hasnot been sentenced yet what my immediate rights and longer term right are.