Teen mother Who Needs Out

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I am here on behalf of a teen who will be 16 this Christmas, 2014. She was pregnant and now has a daughter. She takes care of her daughter with little to no help. She does not want to continue living with her parents, as they are mentally abusive.

In the interest of her daughter, she wants to move in with the father of her child. They are in a good relationship and want to raise the daughter with both parents. The father lives in Ohio and the mother lives in Kentucky.

The mother will have to go to school soon and leave the daughter at home with her parents. She is worried about the safety of the child.

The mother needs help. She cannot get help on her own. She needs a way to simply move out and live with the father of the child.

Why is this not simple? Mother wants child to be with both parents. Mother wants to live with father. Mother is under 18. Mother's parents say no.

With research online, I find emancipation to be a very difficult path that would more than likely end up in failure. There is no real abuse, aside from the harsh words that the parents give the mother.

And just today, the the teen mother was forced (I believe physically) to get a birth control shot at her doctor's appointment, even though she did not consent. I feel that this is against the law.

If a teen mother is deemed responsible for her baby, I find it quite odd she cannot refuse a birth control shot for herself.

Help is needed. Can anyone provide it?

[ccsmod9]

RE: Teen mother who needs out

Hello,
We are happy you decided to reach out to us. It seems like this teen is in a difficult situation. It is great that they have you for support! Things can get very difficult when a child is involved.
You said that she wants to leave home and live with her boyfriend. It is great that she has a supportive and stable relationship. We are not legal experts here but we can speak generally on the topic. Unfortunately since she is still a minor her parents can file a runaway report. Running away isn’t a criminal offense but a status offense. This means that if she did go and have an encounter with the police she could be picked up and returned to her parents. Have they considered talking to their parents about moving out? Possibly with a mediator (either yourself, a close friend, counselor, etc). Deciding to leave can be difficult but being able to leave can be even harder. Emancipation is also an option. The process varies from state to state; it would be best to contact your local law enforcement to find out the specific steps involved. Be sure to specify that the parent views the environment as unfit for her child.
As far as forced birth control, as far as we know a minor can’t be forced to take birth control. They may be encouraged or manipulated, but not forced. If the youth told the doctor “no” they would have to stop. Again, we are not experts, just speaking generally.
We are sorry to hear that they are in such a difficult situation. We offer a toll free, confidential and anonymous hotline which you can call 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We would be happy to look up legal resources in your area and help you go further on the correct path. Good luck.

NRS

[Unregistered]

Thank you. This is helpful and I will use it to help her.

[ccsmod0]

Glad to hear. Remember if there's anything you need you can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Good luck with everything.

NRS