friend is in an abusive home

[Guest]

my friend, who ill be calling sam for this, is in an abusive home. i want to bring him to my home to live with me. he is 15, 16 in two months, and lives in oklahoma. i am 16, 17 this year, and i live in a safe home with my grandparents in michigan. we have a steady income, and an extra room in the house. theres a school in town that i go to that he’d have avalible to him. is there a way to legaly remove him from his parents home and have him live with me? even if thats not ok, is there a way he could move in with someone near him? his friend who is close with him has a safe place. if thats not possible, is it possible for me to legally adopt him or gain custody or just have him live with me or whatever when im 18? i just want him safe and it would be ideal to bring him here. his mom is very abusive and would definitely try to hunt him down if he ran away. could he run away to someones house and contact the police about his situation ? just trying to find our options. thanks !

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they mentioned being abused and wanting to run away. It’s great that your friend has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them. While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.
Take care,
NRS