!7 yro Foster Youth NV

[Unregistered]

I know running away in the state of nevada is a crime, is it worse if you run from the foster care system. I love what dcfs does for children but I hurt another family and Im sure they are going to have me removed soon. What info on foster youth running away in nv is there. Are there services anywhere where they will not contact dcfs or my foster parent? what are the statistics of being caught etc?

[ccsmod11]

Re: !7 yro Foster Youth NV

Hello

Thank you so much for reaching out today. It sounds like you've got a lot going on and have a lot of questions.
We aren't lawyers and can't give specific legal advice, but we can try to help discuss options and find some resources. Laws are different in each state, city, and county. So depending where exactly you are, they respond differently to runaways. Running away by itself is not a crime - it is a status offense. This doesn't mean that there aren't consequences to running away - if you've run away before or have had other issues with the law, then there may be more consequences then if you have never run away before. Sometimes contacting your local police and asking what their procedures are for dealing with runaways in your area could be a good option to get the most accurate information. DCFS might also have its own guidelines. Do you have a case worker with DCFS that you feel comfortable talking to about this?

Because you are a minor, all shelters will need to contact a parent or guardian (your foster parent or DCFS). They will still usually take you in for the night, but they will need to contact them at some point. There are some places that may not need to make that phone call for 24 or 48 hours. If you call or go to a shelter - you may want to ask them if and when they need to call your guardian. If you feel comfortable calling our hotline, one of our liners may be able to help you find a shelter - we can make conference calls with you and can help ask some of these questions.

The only statistics we have are on our website - www.1800runaway.org. These statistics are for all of our callers though, not just runaways in Nevada.

Hopefully this answered some of your questions. I'm really glad you reached out to us - it sounds like you've got a lot going on and the first step is usually the hardest to make. If you want to call our hotline, we may be able to give you some resources in your area for legal advice or a shelter. The number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), it is free and confidential. You can even call for free from a payphone. Our liners are here 24 hours a day.
Thanks again for reaching out to us today!

-NRS

[Guest]

My stepdaughter is 14 years old she's living with her biological mother that is used in math and selling she has run away from home twice what can I do as a stepmom. What is my rights?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today for your stepdaughter. Sounds like she is in a pretty unsafe situation with her mom right now.

We are not legal experts or experts on custody but we can speak generally. If you have partial custody of her you might have some rights to go to court and try to gain full custody. However, if you do not have any parental rights, the main action you can take is to report the neglect to Child Protective Services on her behalf. To learn more about reporting you might reach out to the expert child advocates at Child Help at 1-800-422-4453. You can also call 911 if you are feeling like she in is immediate danger.

If you can reach her, you might try to give your stepdaughter our information: 1800runaway.org / 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are confidential and we can talk through her situation, provide support, and help her brainstorm her options.

Best,

NRS