A worried sister fighting for kids (LONG)

[Aunt Rach]

Dear Soc,
 I am trying to help the father of my niece and nephew gain custody. Their mother was found to be a severe bi-polar at 13 years old.  We have had county CSB involved because she abuses and neglacts the kids, and they haven't even made her stick to the case plan of getting medicated and parenting classes                                                                                         The abuse is so bad when I pick her up for a visit The first thing she says to me" Please make my mommy stop hitting me"  Her father has been behind in CS, he isn't the smartest person nor the most responsible person but I just know the kids would be better off with him, atleast they would get to eat and not be beaten and told they are hated.
      I have hit a wall here, I am unable to care for the kids full time. Their father doesn't have money for a lawyer, he gets by paycheck to paycheck.
  My question to you, knowing it is in the best interest of the kids, how can he get cutody without a lawyer? We live in Ohio and have been told that we live in a "mother's" state.  I feel for these kids, it's almost like nobody cares what happens to them and I really need to help them grow up to be happy healthy children, they deserve it.

[socrateaser]

If the kids are in extreme distress, then contacting child protective services (I gather that this is CSB, in your state), is probably the best way to go.

You can try to do the paperwork for a custody challenge yourself, and there may be someone at the legal aid society that could help. Other than that, I have no answer to your problem of not being able to afford legal counsel.