legal guardianship of our niece?

[Spud'sMom]

DH's niece has been in foster care for 12 years, since her parents signed over full rights. Now she is 15 and living just 20 minutes from us, and we have been discussing having her move in. How hard would it be for us to obtain legal guardianship? How would we go about starting the process? Both of us have squeaky-clean records and DH works for the school system, I'm a SAHM. Our concern is certainly not financial, but we don't make tons of money; will that be a factor? Is there an age at which she can make the choice of where she would like to live?

[mama2liam]

I don't know if this helps any as our situations are different, but I'm giving you my story anyway My sister had a little boy almost two years ago, but she lived a distance from me with no phone so I never heard from her. It seemed she was always having problems though, and when he was 5 months old, I'd heard on FACEBOOK of all places that he'd been put into foster care 1.5 weeks prior
I, at the time, was living in my childhood bedroom with my 3 year-old after moving from another province and waiting to get an apartment of my own. I called CYFS as soon as I found out (this was April) and expressed interest in gaining custody. I said there was no way I could take him then as I didn't have room for him, but kept in touch regularly. By the end of May I had my own apartment and really started pursuing custody. By this time his foster parents had taken him to the US on a 6-week holiday so I had to wait for him to come back; then I was selected to go to something out of town which was about 10 days long. The morning after I got home (this was late August now), I had a phone call asking if they could drop him off in a few hours. It was that quick!!!
As for my situation; I'm a single mother who lives SOLELY on my own income with no help from DS' BD. I don't have a lot either, but that didn't seem to get in the way of things. The system favors children to be placed with family so that is a big plus for you I'm on my last custody order with my nephew; if things haven't gotten any better on my sister's end by the end of September, I can start adoption proceedings

[jbaxter]

Contact Social services and ask about Kinship care You basiclly would become her foster parent. Since she has been in care so long she may be eligible for college assistance also! You will have to go through a home study / classes/ fingerprints all of which is no big deal since you are relatives they may speed up the process You will continue to get the monthly foster care spipend and she will keep her medical card UNLESS you apply for guardianship and then you can put her on your medical insurance. Good luck but start with a call to your county social services they will hood you up with the classes ( they are free btw as is the finger prints and home study) we did have to have physicals also