I'm 16 with nowhere to go

[Guest]

I'm a 15 year old whose gonna turn 16, I know my parents are gonna kick me out when I'm 18, can I get a job to provide for my self in the future without my parents denying the job in any sort of way at the age of 15 or 16? I just want a head start before I'm screwed and cant afford college.

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

Sounds like you are in a tricky situation with wanting to start working at 15 to plan for when you are kicked out at 18. That seems rough that your parents have already said they are going to kick you out at 18 with 2-3 years before you turn 18. You deserve to live in a stable environment. It is smart to plan for your future like that, you must be a hard working, independent person.

We are not legal experts but we can speak generally. You being able to work at 15 or 16 without your parents' permission depends on your state's laws. Some states require you to get an Employment/Age Certification if you are applying for work under the age or 16 or 18 and generally parents have to sign off on that, and others do not. This Department of Labor link goes through Employment/Age Certifications by state: https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/certification.htm. You might take a look at that link to see if you would need your parents to sign off on you working at at 15 or 16. You mentioned that you are focused on getting a job to help pay for college; which again is pretty smart and mature of you. You might also reach out to a school adviser to plan for your future educational goals and their finances. There might be alternative ways you can pay for college.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk through your situation, need support, or need resources. We are here to listen, here to help.

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

My moms boyfriend changed the locks to my house and Is trying to put me out and my mom isn’t saying anything about it what should I do.

[ccsmod10]

Hi 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.

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. If you are a minor (under the age of 1, then that’s considered neglect. If you want to report that to police or CPS, that is definitely your right. We can also call with you, if you’d like someone to advocate for you.

If you need a shelter resource, we are more than happy to find a safe place for you to stay for the night. There is also the National Safe Place organization, this organization provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for youth in need. You can look up your city and state to see if there are any safe places near you listed. You also may use your phone to text the word “safe” and your current location (city/state/zip) to 69866. If there are safe places and shelters nearby, a list of those will be sent to your phone and you may have the option to text back and forth with a trained counselor as well.

You’re not alone in this and you don’t deserve to be treated the way you’ve been treated. if you ever wanted help talking with your mom about how her boyfriend treats you, we can call her with you via our conference calling service. Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS

[Guest]

I’m 15 and I’m 1/4 children. My mom has a boyfriend who is abusive to her and she gets mad at me when I try to do anything about it. I have a feeling they are drinking or doing drugs but I know for sure my 19 year old brother living with us is. I’m not cared for in this house other than when I’m cleaning and proof reading their essays while everyone is getting special treatment in their own way. I am depressed here and I am desperate to move out when I am 16 in June. I want to get emancipated but scared that these problems will move me and my 14 year old sister back into the foster system. What can I do?

[ccsmod4]

Reply:I'm 15 and im 1/4 children.


Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
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 through this challenging time.
It sounds like you are in a tough situation and may be looking for some options to help cope with everything.
We understand how difficult it must have been to speak about what you have been feeling.
You are very brave for doing so. Good for you.

We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please contact NRS at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org .

Take care and be safe,
NRS

We hope that this information is helpful to you! We’d love to hear what you think about your experience with the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). If you have a moment, please click the link below our signature line to fill out a quick survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

[Guest]

i’m 16, i had a rough start into high school. i ended up smoking marijuana and drinking but then after a while i quit knowing that it wouldn’t get me anywhere, i got in a lot of trouble and my parents never really punished me, just sent me to youth programs for other people to deal with, well i managed to get kicked out of all the ones in florida so i could come home. well my parents are stoners, and also not very great people, it’s very known in my town that my parents are messed up. well i’ve been kicked out and moved in with friends for months at a time without speaking to my parents. and now they’ve come up with i can’t be home/on the property unless they are home and when ever they leave no matter the time or reason i have to leave too i dropped out to get my ged and am currently looking for a job. is it illegal for them to lock me out or refuse to let me go home just because they aren’t there? i want to confront them about it but i want to go with facts no what people thinks is legal and what isn’t, i live in a 405,000 dollar home so when dcf has come for my parents being reported on multiple occasions from teacher or resource officers at my school they pretty much just see the house and the good jobs my parents have and the fake show they put on.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are sorry to hear that you have been having issues with your parents. It sounds like you have tried getting help but DCFS has failed you. We are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure whether it is illegal for your parents to not want you home when they aren't home. The best way to find out whether or not it is illegal would be to contact your local police through their non emergency number. If you don't feel comfortable contacting the police, we could call them for you. You may also want to consider asking your parents if they would allow you to stay with another family member. Another option that you have is looking into emancipation laws for your state. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email. or live chat.


We hope that this information is helpful to you! We’d love to hear what you think about your experience with the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). If you have a moment, please click the link below our signature line to fill out a quick survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

[Guest]

Hi I’m 16 and basically my mum has a lot of issues of her own but I suffer with mental health and depression, I feel like staying in this house is making it so much worse and my mum said she’s close to kicking me out and told me no one cares about me and wants nothing to do with me, I just want to get out but I don’t know my options and where I can go

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,
Thank you for reaching to NRS. We are very sorry to hear that you are in a difficult situation, but we are glad that you are reaching out for help. It takes a lot of courage to seek out help when you need it. You are very brave to do so.
You mentioned that you are in a tough situation. You are dealing with your own mental health issues, as well as with your mother’s issues. We are very sorry to her that you are going through this. You also mentioned she has told you that she is close to kicking you out of the house and wants nothing to do with you. We are so, so sorry for this. No one deserves to be told such awful things, especially not by one’s mother. We just want you to know that we are here to help you in any way that we can. You said you did not know your options and that you did not have anywhere to go. We have some options that may be helpful for you. One option would be to get your mother’s permission to live somewhere else, such as with a family member or a friend. Another helpful resource may be a school counselor or social worker; they may be able to help you find help for your mental health if you are not currently seeking any treatment. They may also be able to connect you to local resources, such as safe places to go when you do not feel safe at home. Your local police department may also be able to help you since your mother has said she is ready to kick you out. Parents typically are held liable for your safety until you are considered an adult. You can also give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We have an online data base where we can look up local resources for you. We also have a service called a conference call. It basically is a three-way call between you, one of our trained liners, and your mother. We will be there for moral support and to make sure the conversation remains calm and productive. We hope this information is helpful!

Again, thank you for reaching out to us. We are sorry that you are in this tough situation, but thankful that you reached out to us for help. If you would like to talk further about your situation or to use one of our services, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or start a live chat with us online. We wish the very best of luck and we hope that everything works out for you. Remember, we are here to listen, we are here to help.

Warm Regards,

NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

[Guest]

First off I come from not one but 2 drug abusing parents.I have 9 siblings. My mom has come in and out if my life since I was born. I don't see my dad at all and I prefer not to. I lived with my grandma since I could remember. Last year around thanksgiving I moved in with my aunt and her 2 daughters.When I first moved in everything was going fine. Then my older sister and her baby moved in. I love my sister and her baby. My aunt's daughters both got into relationships and they both started to spend many nights at there partners houses. all the while they are spending nights with there partners they are both underage. My aunt started to spend nights away from home and would sneak around all the time things started to seem suspicious. Later My sister and I found out my aunt was seeing my biological father. I became very angry and hostile toward her because she knows how I feel about him. long story short my 2 cousins have now lost there virginity underage neither go to school on a regular basis and my aunt is gone 5 days a week and always makes excuses. I am always feeling like I am being pushed away because I spend my days at home cleaning, cooking and doing school work. I feel like I need to take my self out of this situation before I do anything I'll regret but I don't know what to do because I have no where to go.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We're sorry to hear about all that has been going on at home. That would be a lot to handle and we want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home. We are not legal experts, but we can tell you that if you are a minor and you leave home and your aunt files a runaway report, you could be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a runaway. If you want a liner to help you walk through other options like us mediating a conference call between you and your aunt, thinking through possible adults that you could turn to or could advocate for you, or things like emancipation and legal aid numbers, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

NRS

[Guest]

Hi um I had another fight with my mom a few minutes ago. Shes always saying things to me or around me especially when we're fighting (which has been happening almost everyday now) like that I'm a pig and that when I get a husband he is going to beat me cause I'm such a pig. I'm 16 and I live In Philadelphia. I just packed up some clothes and the $5 that I have managed to keep to myself but I'm scared. She knows alot of people in Philadelphia and I still want to go to school and stuff. And whenever I try to say anything she always quotes the Bible that I have to honor my mother and father and it's just her. I'm always cleaning around the house yet nothing is ever good enough for her and if my brother makes a big mess again it's my fault anyway and I have to reclean it up, and if I complain she says that a woman's place is cooking and cleaning for her family/husband. I read online that she can kick me out now that I'm 16 and she's been threatening to send me to my dad's house for a long time now. What do I do can I leave and still finish school

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and sharing a little bit about what is going. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and especially in a time where you have a really tough and complex situation at home. We are sorry you are experiencing those fights with your mom, no one ever deserves to go through that. You do have the right to report or ask questions about what you are through is a form of abuse. To do this you can call out to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453. You can either do it yourself or call into us directly and we can support you through it. It is hard to say the result of reporting, but if you call in you can ask what the process might look like.
We aren’t legal experts, but we have general knowledge about running away. In most states, running away isn’t illegal, but what is called a status offense. You can’t get arrested for it but it will mostly likely go on your record until you are 18. The police will only know if you have runaway if your parents/guardians file a police report, as they are responsible for you until you are 18. We can’t say for sure how the police will respond, but we hear a lot that police will take potential places you might be and will actively search for you. If they come across you, the most likely will return you home to your parents. Sometimes we hear that if you are staying with someone who knows you are a runaway and are not actively trying to return you or finding shelter for you, your guardians/or police can press charges against the people who are housing you, with something that is called harboring.
You mentioned that you still want to go to school and continue your education. You can look into the McKinney Vento Act or call the National Center for Homeless Educational Helpline 18003082145. This helpline can give you more information on your rights to education.
One of our main goals is to make sure you are safe, so if you ever seriously decide to run away and need shelter, resources, or a safe place to go you can find safe locations at nationalsafeplace.org or reach out to us directly and we can find local resources in your area. We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY we are open 24/7.

-NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey.

Tell us what you think about your experience!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I’m 16 with nowhere to go my mother kicked me out because I told her I wanted to get a job I don’t wanna have to watch my brother everyday.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need.

It sounds that your mom kicked you out of the house. That is against the law and considered neglect, if you wanted to report that. We can help you do so, you would need to call into our safeline. You can also contact Child Help (National Child Abuse Hotline) at 800-422-4453. We can also look for a runaway shelter in your area so you have somewhere safe to stay.

Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS

[Guest]

My mom thinks i’m out doing drugs just because i hang out at the local town center right by my house and it’s a small facility with not much places to go. I use to work in the area so everyone knows who I am and i hangout with friends a lot there. I come home tonight and she goes off telling me she wants me out of the house because she thinks i’m doing drugs and how i’m disrespectful. I literally don’t do drugs and i try to respect her but she’s saying how she never wants to see me again. I don’t know what to do but i’m scared she’ll throw me out because she’s left me before stranded at a mall and took my money and phone so i had no way of getting back but thank god i was by the apple store. But anyways what do i do about my mom? she’s insane and i’m scared

[Guest]

I’m 16 and my father keeps on trying to kick me out and I have no where to turn to. I have been wanting to get a job just Incase worst comes to worse he kicks me out and leaves me with nothing so I can at least have enough money to eat Incase he kicks me out, but he won’t let me for some reason and he’s never let me for some reason. But to top it off he verbally and mentally abuses me calling me lazy for not getting a job but then when I tell him if he wants I will get a job then he yells at me more and hits me. Recently my mother and my father have not been on the best terms and this makes me even more afraid because he has anger issues and if I mess up just a little bit he might kick me out on the spot. I try to help him out in the ranch by feeding all the cows,horses,chickens,goats,and sheep so he can sleep in and get rest but that hasn’t changed anything since I’ve been feed ing then twice a day for 4 years almost 5 year that I have been helping him for without anything in return because I wanted to show him I want to help. I haven’t been out with my friends for about 4 months because my dad says I don’t deserve it. Recently to get some cash for when the day come that he kicks me out I have been secretly feeding my neighbors animals while him and his family are on vacation, so I’ve been waking up at 6 in the morning to feed his animals and putting up a new fence and fixing his tractor to earn cash but i told him not to tell my father and I hope he keeps it that way. I am also trying to play football during school and hopes that he lets me because that’s the only time I’m stress free when I’m not home also in school I have almost all A’s except one B that I have to try to graduate and get scholarships next year to hopefully go to college and move in with my best friend in a dorm. Through out this whole thing I was diagnosed to have anxiety and depression from all the stress and worry that has built up inside me.Through out this time I have also had suicidal thoughts but have reached out for help. Through all this god has been on my side. I just want to know also if there is somewhere I can go that’s like that safe place but because I live in Northern California there is none here in my area near Sacramento. Thank you for anyone that is willing to help me out and find a good plan on what to do during this tuff time.

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and sharing so openly about what you have been experience for quite sometime. It is important to know that any form of abuse is not okay, and you do have the right to report the abuse with Child Help 1-800-422-4453. You can either do it yourself or call into us directly and we can support you through it. It is hard to say the result of reporting, but if you call in you can ask what the process might look like.

It sounds like you are doing a great job of figuring out ways you can spend less time at home, start making some money for yourself, while balancing school. It can be difficult to know how to talk to your parents and express your feelings about how you are feeling. We would encourage you to reach out to a trusted adult, teacher, relative, and friend that you can talk to and potentially help you mediate a conversation with your parents about your current situation. At NRS, we do offer a service call conference calling, where you can call into our hotline and then we would reach out to your guardian and help advocate for you, help you express the needs of to your parents.

In most states, running away isn’t illegal, but what is called a status offense. You can’t get arrested for it but it will mostly likely go on your record until you are 18. The police will only know if you have runaway if your parents/guardians file a police report. We can’t say for sure how the police will respond, but we hear a lot that police will take potential places you might be and will actively search for you. If they come across you, the most likely will return you home to your parents. Sometimes we hear that if you are staying with someone who knows you are a runaway and are not actively trying to return you or finding shelter for you, your guardians/or police can press charges against the people who are housing you, with something that is called harboring. One of our main goals is to make sure you are safe, so if you ever seriously decide to run away and need shelter, resources, or a safe place to go you can find safe locations at nationalsafeplace.org or reach out to us directly and we can find local resources in your area.

It is unclear what state you are currently living in, but one option to think about my be emancipation, if you are able to get a stable position. Our general understanding is some states offer formal emancipation statutes while others do not unfortunately. Laws vary depending on your location, but in many states a minor can petition the court for emancipation to take responsibility for their own care before they turn 18. Generally speaking, courts are wary about granting emancipation. In most cases, you would have to prove in court that you have an income and can care for yourself financially, and that you are able to live separately from your parents. It also helps to be in good standing at school. The court will also factor in the mental and physical welfare of your parents in order to establish your best interest. Usually your legal guardian would have to agree to this in court. Once you are emancipated, you can legally choose where you live, but you might still find that you cannot sign a lease or build credit until you turn 18. The emancipation process can take several months or up to a year, and may cost money in the form of court fees and other expenses. Usually, the best way to learn about emancipation in your state is to contact a lawyer. You may also find information at your county family court. We can look up legal aid resources that may be able to help you with the process.

We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Please feel free to call into us directly as we can talk further about your situation and find resources that are best for you in your area. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our hotline ( 1-800-RUNAWAY) and chat are open 24/7.
We hope this response was helpful! We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey.

-NRS

Tell us what you think about your experience!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I’m a 16 year old female and I got kicked out. I have been house hopping for a month and now I have been on the streets for a good minute. I’m not sure who has legal custody of me anymore. Any options?

[ccsmod3]

Hello!

We are glad you reached out to us and we hope to help you in the best way possible.

If you remember who had custody of you last, there is a good chance that they still have custody of you. The legal process of dropping custody would involve the court, so unless you think your parent/legal guardian would have gone through the process to drop their custody of you, it is likely that they are still your legal guardian.

In addition, it is illegal to kick a minor out of their home. You deserve to have a place to stay, and should not have to be living on the streets. You can contact 2-1-1 for immediate help. If you are not comfortable going to the police about your situation, feel free to give us a call at any time at 1-800-786-2929. We are able to refer you to a shelter resource or discuss more of your options further with you. We are also able to connect you to a legal resource to inquire about who has legal guardianship over you.

We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you again!

Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16 and my mom kicked me out of the house I left to stay with my Tia and she bought me close and everything for school and now my mom wants me back at my house and she's not letting me stay with her and I don't want to go back what do I do

[ccsmod0]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. It sounds like you are thinking about living with another family member. Here at NRS, we offer conference calls between youth and their parents. Perhaps you can consider using our conference calling service, this is a service where you would call us and we would hold a conference call between you and your mom to talk about how both sides are feeling. We would serve as mediators, we are not here to necessarily choose sides but rather help come up with a solution that would make the situation at home better. This might be helpful to you if you have concerns about your mom not listening or not being open to hear what you have to say. If you feel like this is a service that you would find useful you can give us a call and one of our trained liner will be happy to assist you.
If you have any questions or just want to talk please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline 1-800-786-2929