My sister and I have had a rough life. Abusive, bipolar, drug addicted mother, abusive or deadbeat dads... The thing is, I came out fairly ok. I saw what went on and refused to let myself become it. My sister fell into the same lifestyle though. She got pregnant at 16 and dropped out of school. I was 20 and living on my own at the time and tried to get custody of her from our mom, but it didn't happen. Our mom pretty much played CPS like a piano and would show a good face while they were there but would neglect and abuse my sister the rest of the time. Eventually, my sister got into drugs and illegal activities and lost custody of her first child to his father. She got pregnant again not long after, and continued drinking and drug use into her pregnancy. Her daughter is special needs. She got pregnant again, and cleaned her act up somewhat. She got married (he isn't the father) and had the baby. She was diagnosed as bipolar as well as having some form of psychosis. She sometimes doesn't take her medication and has complete breakdowns over things like the Holocaust or other things that have no bearing on her. Last year she told me that sometimes she thinks people are breaking into her house and she is always scared the house is going to burn down. She has exit signs up all over her house and reads books about the Holocaust and other things to make sure her kids "don't forget how awful those things were." The kids still with her are 7 and 4 and totally out of control. She told me she locks them in their room at night because they get into things. Sometimes though, my sister doesn't get up until late and the kids stay locked in there. They are also locked in there if my sister and her husband just don't want to deal with them. My sister tells me she just can't handle them.
I've been supportive and have even bought her girls clothes and care items. I've talked to her about parenting and doing the right thing, but I can only do so much. I live 8 hours away, but we talked every day and she regularly visited our grandparents. About a month ago, she suddenly stopped calling and her phone was shut off. My grandmother said she's been staying with them and our uncle and they were concerned because my sister was keeping her oldest daughter out of school. Out of the blue, my sister left and stopped talking to my grandparents. A cousin of ours lives with my sister, and yesterday totally dropped a bomb on all of us.
It turns out, when she stayed with my grandparents, it was because her electric was cut off. When she went back, she continued to live without electricity AND running water, since their water pump was electric. 3 weeks she went without it. My cousin said my sister is abusing pills and isn't taking her medication. My cousin was actually in the process of moving out, saying she can't live with my sister anymore. She's having violent outbursts, punching and hitting walls and the dashboard of her car. They just recently got the electric turned back on and are on some kind of payment plan with it, however, they are months and months behind on rent and are facing eviction soon. The most disturbing part is that my sister told her son's father she can't do visitation with him right now. This is something she woudl NEVER have done before. Her son's father told my grandma he thinks something is going on.
My family and I have had no direct contact with her for weeks now. She has no phone or internet and refuses to see anyone. I'm worried about her and the kids, but mostly about the kids.
Tomorrow morning I am calling CPS in their county to make sure they are ok. I'm just worried that they won't do anything, much like they did when I was a kid and when my sister was 16. This whole thing has me furious and upset for a multitude of reasons. Mainly because her kids are suffering. I am trying to get a plan together and figure out if we can take them in if they are removed from the home. It would be difficult to take on 2 more kids (we have a 6y/o and a 3y/o already) but it IS doable for us. And honestly, if it means helping them until my sister gets herself together, I would love to. The whole thing is just terrible.