Wanting to live with my aunt and uncle

[Guest]

I am 12 years old and my Dad and mom have separated my mom has drug issues so I don't see her as much. My Dad is ill with liver disease and cant take care of me nor himself half the time. My aunt and uncle have a nice house in Pa. The schools are very nice out there and My aunt and uncle know exactly how to take care of me they always put me first they are loving and caring to me. I feel that I should be living there and I can always visit my dad on weekends. How do I tell him and get to live there?

[ccsmod10]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runway Safeline. We appreciate you contacting us in your time of need, it was very brave of you.

It sounds like you’ve gone through a lot and your parents have put you through a lot, which isn’t fair for you and must be really stressful on you. It’s understandable that you’re wanting to go live with your aunt and uncle, they sound like good people. You mentioned that your dad is sick with liver disease, you’re being so brave but your happiness and safety are important too. You deserve to live in a home where you’re taken care of. Perhaps you can consider talking to your dad about how you want to live with your aunt and uncle for a bit. Here at NRS, we offer a conference calling service where you would be able to initiate a conversation between you and your dad. We could help mediate that conversation and explore options, such as allowing you to live in Pennsylvania, and how that may look like.
Sometimes just being able to talk can be a way to open up the lines of communication and see the best way that everyone can compromise. If this is something that you might want to look into, please feel free to reach out to us at our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

We hope our response is helpful. Also, talking to school counselors and teachers about what’s going on at home could provide you with great support. You are not alone in this. You are always welcome to call into our 24/7 crisis center if you'd like to talk more about your situation.

Best, NRS

[Guest]

I'm 17 and I'm being mentally abused in my house and I want to run away to my aunts house I don't know what to do if I should do it or not

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear that you are being treated in an abusive manner at home. Everyone deserves to feel safe and loved in their own home and you are no exception. If you are a minor (under 18 in most states), your parents have the right to file a runaway report with the police. While it is not illegal to run away and you will not be arrested for it, a runaway report usually entitles the police to notify your parents and return you home if they encounter you. Additionally, your parents may have the right to press charges against your aunt for harboring a runaway if they would like to do that. We try not to tell the people who reach out to us what they should or should not do. But if you want to talk more about what’s going on and what your options look like, please don’t hesitate to call us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS