Location: Pennsylvania
3 years ago my husband and I were asked by a “family friend” to care for her children. It was a situation where she lived in a neighboring state and that state told her to send them to someone safe or they go
To foster care. She was in jail at the time. Long story short she would get upset if we didn’t do what she wanted, ie give her money for her “books” canteen etc. so she would threaten to have various unsavory family members come to my house to take the children. There was at that time no court ordered custody just a signed safety plan from Maryland that she was giving permission for us to care for the kids while she was in jail. We then we and sought court ordered custody to keep the kids at our home until she was released. Fast forward 3 years. We still have all three of the kids. She has been in and out of jail several times since and currently in prison. Two of the three kids have been diagnosed, one with autism the other with an attachment disorder and several other mental health dx. We live in a villa we bought with intentions to stay until we died. Anyway we can no longer handle the violent behavior of the 2 oldest. There is no one else that can take them so we called Pennsylvania children and youth they told me we would be charged with abandonment if we relinquished custody of them to the state. My husband has a job where he can’t have any type of child charges on him. Can cys really charge us with abandonment? We aren’t blood related and never planned on raising another set of kids through until 18. Our youngest is in their 20’s. Their behavior prevents us from seeing our grandchildren and having any quality of life. It isn’t something that we even know we are definitely wanting to do. Because we do love them and are so attached to them. We get no assistance other than wic for the youngest. Which money isn’t a huge issue we have it to spend. I just feel like we are now stuck in a terrible situation that there is no good answer. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. Sorry for the long post. It is a very long and convoluted story.