Step Daughter is expecting

[slinks2018]

I'm looking for advice & support.
My SD is 14 & is currently about 12 weeks pregnant.
She doesn't live with us, and has no contact with me, only her Dad.
I've looked at child protection information. I've looked at legal bits given her age. It's all very ambiguous & generally very sweeping about what she can or cannot do, with or without the consent of her parents.

This is a powder keg... Stand well back.
Let her mum sort it out. Or be prepared to take the blame for everything that goes wrong.

What do you mean ‘what she can or can’t do without consent of her parents’?

She's not your daughter, does she want you to be involved.

Avoid!!! Keep your nose out and let it unfold by its self!

What exactly are you looking for re advise? You have no involvement with her so are you asking how to support your DH?

Also interested to know what you mean by ‘what she can or can’t do without consent of her parents’?

mummmy2017, I'm very aware whatever I do or don't do I'll be wrong.
IsTheRainEverComingBack I wasn't aware of what the legalities were and I've researched it a fair bit this evening.
HoleyCoMoley No she's not my daughter.

I wanted advice, I'm am quietly going batshit crazy supporting my husband. Needless to say me stepping back from it is exactly what I will do & want to do. I can't explain here everything the mother has put us through over the years. I know without the right information or at least some information, my husband will agree with everything his ex wife says. I don't want to watch this become another battle ground when this is more serious.

Poor kid.
Not your daughter but be there for her if she needs extra support, nothing else.

Thank you Sweetsongbird1 that's amazingly supportive

Are you concerned about medical decisions? Your SD’s capacity to make them? Or something to do with housing? Understand it must be hugely overwhelming, but if you can give us an idea as to what specifically you are concerned about we might be able to give you some more focused ideas/thoughts.

ProseccoPoppy, I really don't know. Overwhelmed is an understatement.
I rarely come to public forums for anything.
Some things I have read say she wouldn't have the ability to give consent over own pregnancy. Other things say she will be supported by the services available. I'm not sure of her capacity to make the decisions.

At fourteen she will be assessed for Fraser competence (or whatever it is called now) and unless there are learning difficulties oe severe mental health issues, she is likely to be regarded as competent to make decisions about her pregnancy. What I mean is she cannot be force to terminate or continue with the pregnancy against her will.
However I would expect considerable Social Service input In regard to the best interests of her and her child.
Poor kid, she and your DP's putative grandchild will need a lot of help and support.

Have you read the nhs choices teenage pregnancy information, we found it very helpful.

I can imagine how incredibly worrying this must be.

On consent, I think Gillick/Fraser guidelines are what HC professionals generally use to determine competence re medical decisions. I am not quite sure how they would apply that here - maybe this might shed some light - www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system/legal-definition-child-rights-law/gillick-competency-fraser-guidelines/

Tbh I would probably expect her to be deemed competent to make decisions - assuming that SD is reasonable and NT I would expect her midwife (and probably social worker) to support her to make those decisions.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can give you an idea of what might happen in practice.

Good luck though - I can imagine DH is in bits.

What do you think SD would like to do?