How to help out a struggling teen with a complicated family situation

My 14-year-old niece is having trouble in school and has very few, if any, resources among her immediate family. Compounding the problem, her guardian is not family and seems to prioritize her own son's needs over hers. We want to help but we live a thousand miles away. What can we do? [more inside]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish on Feb 27, 2013 - 26 answers