I have been taking care of my cousins two small children for the past year and a half. It started that their mom worked at night, so they would stay with me and she would pick them up at 1am. Well the kids were not getting a good nights sleep so I told her to let them stay the night and I would bring them home in the mornings before I went to work. This was working out fine than I started having them every weekend because she worked. So they were sleeping at home maybe once or twice a month. Well recently she stopped them from coming to my house because she said I was getting to close to them and they didn't know who she was. I bought everything they own. Their winter coats, car seats, bed, clothes, shoes, toys and food. She didn't have the money. Do I have any rights to seeing them. They do not live in a stable environment. She lives in a one bedroom apt with no beds and her house is disgustingly dirty. Neither one of them have a father that is in their life. My husband was the only male figure and they started calling him daddy. The baby has become so attached that when he would wake up in the morning he would look for daddy. My children were also very close to them. My whole family is devastated and heart broken. What should I do?

Helpless in NY

In NY, if you have a subastantial residential relationship with the children and have acted as their parent, you can sue for visitation and/or custody without showing that the parent is unfit. I will tell you, however, that this is expensive and not quickly done. If you know the children are in an unsafe environment, you need to report the situation to CPS.