The Autumn Leaf

[Guest]

My granddaughter and I reside in Washington state. Currently, she is in CPS care for turning in her mom for drug abuse. For 9 months her and I have been doing everything CPS says in an effort to grant me custody of her. Today, custody was denied. She wants to live with me and permanently, regardless of CPS's decision. She will be 15 years old in October. She wants to leave CPS on her own, to come live with me. At her age, and my being her grandma- would this work for us? Suggestions?

[ccsmod0]

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to NRS and sharing your story with us. We are sorry to hear about your situation. It must be difficult for you both. Although we at NRS are not a legal agency, we can try to give a general idea of possible outcomes. If your granddaughter were to run away to live with you, as she is still a ward of the state, CPS would likely file a runaway report. Being a runaway is a status offense, and while your granddaughter would not be charged with a crime, if police came across her, they would probably take her back into state care. They could also potentially press charges against people who took her into their care for “harboring a runaway,” these charges would be a misdemeanor, but still criminal offenses.
With all this in mind, seeking legal representation could be an option. If possible, you may also speak to a CPS representative to see why custody was denied, as well as whether and/or when you could apply again.
We want to commend you and your granddaughter for the strength you two have shown. If you would like to talk about other resources and support, feel free to call our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or use our Live Chat.
We hope this information was helpful and take care.
National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)