Hello everyone,

I’m not even sure where to start explaining our situation but here goes:

My niece (husband’s brother’s child) has been staying with us for the last few days. This started off as a planned short visit. My niece is from Kentucky and came down with her grandmother to visit my husband and our new baby in North Carolina. However, on their way out of town, my niece’s mother was arrested on drug charges AGAIN. Her father (my brother-in-law) currently has a warrant out for his arrest on drug charges as well. This is not new for them. They have had issues like this for years. They lost custody of their first child who is currently being raised by her grandfather. My niece is 10, very bright, and outgoing. She knows what is happening. CPS came out to do a wellness check on her when she arrived in North Carolina and she spoke with them at length about her circumstances at home. When she arrived at our house, she had almost no clothing with her and no other personal items. We took her shopping for clothes and such.

My mother-in-law will be filing for temporary custody when they get back to Kentucky tomorrow but after speaking at length with my husband, we’ve both decided that we would be willing to give her a home here. We live in a nice neighborhood in a fantastic school district and would love to give her a safe stable home here away from all of the drama and instability in Kentucky. My MIL is coming around to the idea but none of us are really sure where to start. The fact that we live in a different state further complicates things.

In short, I’m at a loss as to what to do next. This little girl has had to put up with so much already. She constantly being left in her apartment at home with known drug addicts and dealers. I don’t want her around all of that. I want her to be a kid, go to school, eat home-cooked meals and worry about things kids worry about, not whether or not her mom is going to come home that night. We love her and are more than willing to keep her safe and happy here.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? Any advice?