Legal Question in Family Law in Missouri

Child in foster care

I have a 15 yr. old daughter in foster care. She's refused to come home unless I make her adopted father move out.She doesn't want to be disloyal to her biological father. Her biological father signed his rights away when she was 14. It's been a very difficult time in her life as you can imagine. She was sneaking around in the middle of the night with a boy who was almost 17 when she was 14. She was out of control. I told her she couldn't see him anymore and I was going to get her some help, so she ran away. The family support team don't understand what a mistake they made by not sending her home. She had her dad to run to when she got mad before. Now, she has them. They treat us unfairly. They humiliate and degrade us in front of our daughter at the meetings. We've bent over backwards to get her home. I don't know what to do to get my daughter back. They say since she's 15, if she refuses to go home they can't make her. They've misjudged the situation by a long shot and now we have no relationship with our daughter at all. We did before she ran away. It could've been worked out at home if they would've let us. What can I do to get my daughter home when they are being so unfair? Thank You!


Asked on 1/07/02, 11:07 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael R. Nack Michael R. Nack, Attorney at Law

Re: Child in foster care

Your story is not unusual.I would strongly advise you to consult with a local attorney who is experienced in the Family Court, and especially experienced in what used to be called Juvenile Court. I doubt that the court would take your daughter away from you simply because she is fifteen and doesn't want to live with you. It is simply not her decision to make. It is the duty of the Court to determine what is in the best interest of the child, and you may be able with the services of an experienced attorney show the court that returning your daughter to you would be in the child's best interest. Good luck.

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Answered on 1/08/02, 2:24 pm


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