malicious mother

[Unregistered]

My mom said she was going to give me up for adoption or put me in a group home because she said she didnt want me anymore, im a disgrace and all this stuff. Then she said she wants me out of the house, and to never come back. If i leave a note saying im at my friends house and that im safe and everything and leave, can she still file a runaway report ? Im 15 btw.

[ccsmod16]

Re: malicious mother

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We’re so sorry to hear that you are feeling unsupported and unwelcome at home. It’s so resourceful of you to seek a place to be where you feel safe and among people who care about you. That you’re reaching out with these legal questions shows you’ve got a good head on your shoulders and that you’re really thinking this through. We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but we can speak about what could happen if you were to leave in general terms.

Until you reach the age of majority (which is the age you can legally live on your own – 18 in most states), your parents/guardians are legally responsible for taking care of you. There are 3 ways that you can legally live with someone else who’s not your mom: 1) emancipation 2) child protective services involvement and 3) parental permission. If you have permission to live at your friend’s house, you could do so legally. Without permission, it is within your mom’s right to file a runaway report with the police, which means that if police found you, they would bring you back home. Running away is a status offense, which means it’s only against the law because of your age (like buying cigarettes). If the police found you and a runaway report had been filed, you wouldn’t get in trouble with the cops; they would simply bring you home. Would you feel comfortable asking your mom for permission to stay with your friends? If you’d like help through this conversation, a service we provide here is conference calling: we could be on the line with you and your mom to support you through this conversation. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) anytime to initiate this; we’re 24/7 and are here to support you.

Again, it’s very brave of you to reach out for advice. Don’t hesitate to call us to talk through a plan – we’re on your team and are here to support you in finding the best plan for you.

Best of Luck,
NRS