I need any concrete advice, or prayers, I can recieve. I am a step-mom to a beautiful little girl who deserves a stable life. My husband and I meet 2 years, i was a childcare provider and we were very causually dating. I cared for his daughter during the day and soon his very unstable ex-girlfriend began to use me (literally, she never paid) for childcare. I knew immediatly that something was seriously effecting the baby. she was 3 and would throw tantrums that rivalled a 2 year old. she wet the bed and had terrible nightmares. Her mother often "forgot " to pick her up and didn't actually know my address. within 1 month she was with me 5 out of 7 nights and days. Blessedly children's services intervened, mom was a drug addict and had explicit sex parties with numerous strangers in her daughters presense. My newest baby began therepy and we discovered multiple sexual abuses and exposures that would sicken the average adult. Mother never followed through with any of her consoling, or her visitaions, or child support, but did give my husband full custudy. Now after 6 months of no contact (she did try to call twice though never left a message.) she is pursueing unsupervised visitation, right as "my" baby is working through the molestation her mother inflicted on her personally while her mother was high. How can I abopt her? I know her "mother" will never agree, she uses any oppurtunity to play power games with us and manipulate our child. We have another younger child in the home who has been effected by this and our expecting one of our own. (we joke, his, hers, ours!) I couldn't love "my" baby more and I am willing to do whatever it takes, but I've been told that our area never terminates parental rights. what do I do to protect my child?
terranmother@yahoo.com