possible child abuse...

Sierra

So I am writing this as a concerned older cousin/"auntie" for my baby cousin. She will be a year old tomorrow.

I am very concerned about how her parents are raising her. I live there too and so I've seen more than anyone else in my family. I am moving away as soon as possible because I just can't take living there anymore.

Her father is my uncle. They are hoarders. like not the "I'm holding on to this because I might need it", but they are just too lazy to (or "can't") clean things up. There is garbage, dirt, mold, dirty clothes, and food everywhere. There are seven cats living there and they never clean up after them, so the cats pee and poop all over the place. I've tried cleaning it because I can't take living like that, and I don't think they should be raising their two kids in a house like that breathing in all of that dirt. There isn't even anywhere for the kids to play.

I am more concerned with their behavior towards the kids. My uncle's fiancee also has a four year old son. They both (my aunt and uncle) get so angry with the kids that they SCREAM at them. Not just frustrated parent screaming, but "SHUT THE F***K UP!!!!" and things of that nature and intensity. Every time the 4 year old speaks, he is told to shut his effing mouth, even if he was just being a normal four year old and asking questions.

The biggest concern I have is this. It's the biggest reason why I want to take action. Every time my family gets sick of listening to their kids me fussy or a little too stubborn, they blow Marijuana smoke into their faces.

Now I am not the most straight edge of people. I used to live in DC and I smoked while I lived there. However, I strongly believe that what may be okay for an adult to put into their body, is NEVER okay for a child. Especially a baby. The baby knows what it is and craves the high now. She gets angry if they don't share their weed with her. The four year old asks for hits. And it's not just secondhand smoke. If they have a joint, they give the kids shotguns (turn it around and blow the smoke into their nose/mouth).

I don't know how to handle this. My knee jerk reaction is to call CPS. My issue is that I don't want my baby cousin to end up in the system at 1 year old. Her brother can go and live with his father/grandparents. My cousin has nowhere to go. I want her to live with me, but I have yet to get myself stable enough to take her. I have to find a place to live and get a better job. I'm making steps to do that now, but this behavior is every day. They get her high every day, and every day she gets older believing that this is normal. It's gotten so bad that she can't sleep unless they give her weed first. I'm worried about the long term effects.

I just want to make sure that my cousin doesn't end up in a worse situation just because I can't take her myself.

TL/DR: My aunt and uncle verbally abuse and get their kids high. Not sure how to proceed.