RE: leaving home
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like you are looking into your legal options in New York. There are some things to consider regarding running away. Do you have a safe place to go? What would you do to survive? Do you have other options? Have you ever looked into emancipation? Although laws vary from state to state, at age 17 you are still technically under your legal guardian’s care.
Do you think your guardian would call the police if you left? While running away isn’t technically illegal, if your guardian were to file a runaway report, anyone that you would be staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. We cannot give legal advice since we are not lawyers, but we can help you explore options and offer you any resources that could be helpful during this difficult time.
We are always available 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY and are confidential, anonymous and toll-free. We can also be reached by live chat at www.1800runaway.org, from 4:30 pm- 11:30 pm CST. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.
-NRS
- Welcome to the National Runaway Safeline Forum. Here you can post your questions, thoughts, and concerns about what it's like to be a teenager or a parent. If there's something you've been wondering about, please ask. Chances are good that a lot of other people have been wondering the same thing. PLEASE NOTE: We are receiving more crisis contacts than usual right now. Our replies to forum posts may be delayed but we will respond to your questions as soon as we are able. Please check back frequently for updates!
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