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I'm 16, I turn 17 in March. My mother passed away when I was 15, and my father in February. I bounced around different foster homes, and my Social Worker who was a lazy nasty women said if I moved one more time she would place me in Juvenile Detention because she was tired of filing paperwork. So my only only option was to move in with my mothers girlfriend (not legally my stepmother). She collected my survivor benefits since before I even lived with her. Once I moved in we didn't get along from day one because when my mother was dying she left and abandoned my brother and I in a house with nothing (which was filed with state dss. She kicked me 2 months after living with her which is something she frequently does when she doesn't get her way. She has kicked both my older brothers out in the past as well. I lived with my friend and family since then. Now that the police have been involved with this she is telling them I ran away because she doesn't want to get in trouble. I have emails/text of her telling me to "get out of her house" and to "pack my things and go." No one is believing me because she puts up this act and tarnished my reputation. She only wants the check she gets from me. I don't want to report this to social services because I live in Baltimore City and group homes here are terrible. My blood cousin wants to get custody of me but doesn't know where to begin. Please Help
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Re: My stepmother kicked me out and said I ran away
We are so glad that you contacted the National Runaway Switchboard through our bulletin boards. It sounds like you have been through a lot in the last few years including the death of both parents and frequently moving around. We are sorry to hear about your losses and the tough times you have been through. You must be a very strong individual to handle such difficulties. Do you have other people in your life that you feel support you?
It sounds like you have a lot going on right now as you try to find a safe and stable place to live. Have you talked to anyone else about what’s going on? It seems like since there has been police involvement there are mixed stories on whether you are running away or being kicked out. It must be so frustrating to feel like you need help and not find that support in the police. We’re glad that you’re able to ask us for help. We are definitely here for you and want to help you through this. You mentioned that you don’t want to involve social services and we don’t want you to involve anyone you don’t feel comfortable talking with.
Have you asked any other trusted adults for support with the legal issues? One option that you have could be to contact legal aid in your area. If you are in Baltimore as you stated, you could contact the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County. Their phone number is (410) 285-7496 and they provide legal counsel for youth. Another option is that you could call your local non-emergency police department and ask anonymously what some of your rights are and what choices you have as far as where you live. Lastly, you can contact the National Runaway Switchboard for additional support. We are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or via live chat 4:30-11:30pm (CST) through our website 1800runaway.org. We hope that you will contact us so that we can continue to help. Thanks again for reaching out.
We wish you the best,
-NRS
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