Help Me Give my kids a Permanent home

Hi my name is Lisa, and I am fundraising to petition the court for full custody of two children care for. Both of their fathers are in prison and will be for the foreseeable future. Their mother is not a place in her life she is able to care for them and has not been for the past 3.5 years. I first got these children when they were only toddler and infant. They have been between my home and their grandparents thier entire lives. They are now 13 and 11. The oldest’s biological father came back into her life at 11 years old. (At my invitation) I encouraged the reunion and fully believed at the time that is what was best. He recently filed for custody and awarded full custody, just before committing a string of breaking and entering a that landed him in prison. The youngest currently still resides with me, visiting his grandparents often. With the current situation the oldest is left to live in a house with a woman her father was not married to that does not treat her well. I have reported to DSS, To no avail. She remains in the home. I did receive a letter from Cleveland county DSS stating neglect was present in the home. In April I received a letter that said the family would “receive services.” Once again all this directly prior to the breaking and entering. I have plenty of evidence myself things are occurring that should not be. My dilemma is… I am biologically a cousin to these children and have ZERO rights. The only stable environment they have ever known is with me. I am concerned for the oldest’s mental health as she is being forced to live in a hostile environment with people she has only known less than two years. She is currently not allowed to see or speak to me out of pure spite because I reported them to DSS. This is not healthy for me or my child. And yes, I say my children. Though they are not biologically mine, I have always been there for them and raised them most of their lives. I have tried handling this from other avenues and no official entities are willing to help, I keep being told to get a lawyer and file for custody. I took those kids in when DSS brought them to me the last time in 2019, without hesitation I rearranged our lives to accommodate and care for these children myself. I do not receive public assistance nor child support. I have never asked for anything to take care of these children but I just don’t have the means to pay a lawyer all at once for a custody hearing on both children as they would be separate cases. I have consulted with Ashley Lowerance, Attorney at Law she handles cases for DSS and is well known and reputable. The is asking for 2,500 per child to start proceedings. Depending on a few other factors, she may have to charge more if the need arises to terminate rights or ect should the parents not agree. I have went through Pure Hell with the family of the oldest for the past year. My child is not safe, my child is not happy. Here I am with my hands tied as to being able to help her in any way due to the legality of the situation. I would like to finally file for custody and give these children the stable, loving environment they deserve. No child should be estranged from the family they know and love, who has cared for them their entire life, because of someone’s ego! She was never around these people until 2 years ago, and the two years they have had her has been a mess. She has had to deal with drug use, neglect, and now being kept from the only family she knows. These kids have had it rough and through it all I was their only constant. I still am, only one of them is being kept from me. This is not fair to her, this is not fair to me. Please the me just reiterate that I have nothing to gain from this except to offer these child a steady and consistent home where they know they are safe and loved. I have attempted to save the money a few times but my living expenses don’t allow for me to be able to afford an attorney now or in the past three years. These kids have been through a lot, the world has already shown them the ugly, now I am asking you to show them some love and help me attain legal representation to bring my baby’s home permanently. Thank you for reading. If you need more information feel free to contact me directly, Thank you in advance