It seems to me that your ex, and his family, are more detriment then anything to the situation, so I'd be looking to cut them right out of the equation.

I guess the bottom line then, for me, would be whether I felt I could manage, somehow, on my own. If we can't, we can't.

I have been trying to come up with some options for you, Sheena . . . and I haven't. I would so love to just say "things will get better, hang in there", but I know they don't always work out that way. This is one of those times where you want to continue to hope for the best, but need to plan for the worst.

If I were in your situation, I think I would try to find a family that could look after her, if only for 6 - 12 months until I knew whether I could get back on my feet. As a starting point, you could try the various resources that people have posted, like the church, SS, etc . . . Will your government pay for a "chosen" family to foster? Could you find someone willing at your local church?

This is going to require that you start networking, whether that be online, or by getting out in your community to see what choices you might have.

Do adoptions happen for kids that age, or is she more likely to end up staying in the foster system? There must be people out there that could give her a nice home, and love her. I would look into adoption options, and even if it doesn't work out that way . . . maybe it will give you some peace of mind to know if that is feasible or likely.

I wish I could take her myself, and I would if I could. In fact, if push comes to shove, maybe I could find a nice family for her here. <BIG sigh>

I'm so sorry for what you are going through.

Cherie