I'm 16, I'll be 17 on two months. Can I leave home now??

[Jershanna]

Ok so here's the deal, I'm adopted when I was three. Me an my brother where. I've lived without knowing my birth parents till about a year ago. I met my birth mom and she is an amazing person. I was only taken because of financial reasons. I do visitation alittle maybe once every 2 months. My brother just graduated and moved down there. He is 18 but he left home when he was 17. I want to do the same thing because my adoptive mom is so controling and she is so controlling that she even pulled me out of school so she could spend more time with me which has tuned into a nightmare. I hate it here I'm never aloud to go out with friends, my adoptive mom claims she has depression issues so she lays in bed all day. So I never get to go anywhere. I feel like I'm stuck. So what I want to know is can I leave home now? Or can I wait till I'm 17 and ditch this place?? I'd live with my birth mom 2 hours away, same state. It's causing emotional damage to me and I feel like I'm trapped HELP!!!

[ccsmod7]

Re: I'm 16, I'll be 17 in two months. Can I leave home now??

Hello -

Thanks so much for contacting us with your questions and concerns. It sounds like you are going through a rough time right now and trying to figure out what to do. You mentioned that you were adopted and you are having some issues at home, especially with your adoptive mom. It's great that you have been able to connect with your birth mom and able to see her from time to time but it sounds like ideally you would like to live with her full time. It sounds like your adoptive mom is being very controlling and you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by all of this to the point that you would just like to leave.

In most states the age of majority, when you can leave home without permission, is 18. So if you did leave home to go and live with your birth mom it may be possible for your adoptive mom to file a runaway report and make you return home. It's always tough to say though how the police will deal with a 17 yr old and that is probably going to depend on the city/state you are located in. If you did want to see if the police would take a report or make a youth return home at 17 it may be helpful to contact your local police department on a non emergency number and just ask some questions. If you did leave once you turned 17 do you think your adoptive mom would try and make a report or make a big deal about it?

Keep in mind that you can also reach out to us if you would like to discuss this situation more in depth. Our hotline number 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) is available 24 hours a day and we also have a live chat available from 4:30p to 11:30p CST. All of our services are confidential and anonymous and there is always someone here to provide support, discuss options, and even find helpful resources in your area. We are always here to listen and here to help. Take care and be safe.