Custody Question 16 yr old

[shelglen]

Hi,
   I am the SM of a very nice 16 yr old girl.  Due to the instability problems with BM, we have previously gone to court to obtain custody and were granted more visitation and an order keeping her within 50 miles, which was acceptable (b/c that's all we were going to get).
   However, even though we showed that Dau is having school problems and little adult supervision at home, nothing was changed on that front, so BM feels as though she needs to do nothing further.  When we have school meetings, she lies about not being able to be at them (saying she is at work when she only works nights) and then tells the teachers she is giving Dau ADD medicine that she had her put on and then quits 2 weeks later.  Dau went from failing 1 class 2 years ago to completely failing every single class this year in 10th grade.  (Her father was at the school regularly, but the teachers stated that she failed mainly due to not doing homework, which is the one thing he has 0% control over with her living with mom.  And, he has tried everything, believe me; from making her call to tell him about her work to asking to see it on the weekends to making her redo, but it was never enough.)
   We realize that there is probably very little that we can do to change the court's mind even though it is driving us crazy that she is throwing her education away, but isn't it true that at age 17, Dau will be considered adult in GA (we were told that it is 18 if she lived in AL) and then can come freely to live with us (by the way, the divorce decree was adjudicated (?) in Ga)?
    We actually live just over state line in Al (where BM used to live) and since courts weren't concerned before, we don't know any other options that would be available to us, if any.  BM will not willingly let her live with us as she uses her for babysitting younger brother daily, who truly is ADHD and is just about too much to handle for the Dau.  It's not a question of money; it's the outcome and probability of that outcome.
    So, my questions are about the age, and any options that you think we might have.  Thank you,

[socrateaser]

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