Desperate single mom — trying to get emergency custody but courts won’t listen. Please help.

Hi everyone,

Location: Las Vegas

I’m a single mom and I’m honestly terrified for my 6-year-old daughter. I work as a stripper to support us because that’s all I’ve got right now, and I’m doing everything I can to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. But lately, things with my daughter’s dad have gotten really bad, and I feel like the system is against me.

Her dad has always been unpredictable, but in the last few months, I’ve gotten reports from neighbors and some of her teachers that he’s been leaving her alone for hours — sometimes overnight. Once, I found out she came to school dirty, hungry, and crying because he didn’t pick her up from daycare or feed her properly. I tried calling CPS, but it felt like nothing changed. I also went to court to ask for emergency custody, but the judge seemed to dismiss me because of my job and financial situation. They say I can’t provide a “stable environment,” but I swear on my daughter’s life that I’m doing everything I can.

I don’t have a lawyer because I can’t afford one, and the free legal aid took forever to get back to me. Meanwhile, my daughter is stuck with someone who I’m convinced is neglecting her and maybe worse. She calls me crying on the phone, telling me she’s scared and lonely. I’m scared I’m losing her and that something bad is going to happen before I can get help.

I don’t know where else to turn. I’ve heard about emergency custody orders that can be filed quickly, but I don’t know how to do it or what I need to prove. I’m trying to collect proof—pictures of bruises, messages from neighbors, anything—but I don’t know if it’s enough.

Please, if anyone has gone through this or knows how a single mom in Vegas working nights can fight the system and protect her child, I’m begging you for advice. How do I get emergency custody fast? Who do I talk to? What paperwork do I need? Any help, no matter how small, would mean everything to me. I’m so exhausted and scared, and I just want to keep my daughter safe.

Thank you for reading and for any help you can give.