Conflicted

[Unregistered]

I'm 17. I live in Missouri and my grandma, legal guardian, has sent me to live with other relatives for unknown reasons. My other relatives do not yet have legal guardianship and my girlfriends parents and herself are willing to let me move in with them so I can be home and with her. Can I do this and not be forced to return to either my grandmas or my other relatives?

[ccsmod0]

re: Conflicted

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out tonight. It sounds like you’ve been moving around a lot and just want some stability. That makes so much sense. You’re asking some good questions, and we can try and help you the best we can.

We aren’t legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally as to what might happen. If you decide to leave wherever your guardian gives you permission to be (it sounds like at your relatives), then your current guardian (whether that is your grandma or these relatives) have the right to file a runaway report with the police and make you go back to where the guardian gave you permission to be. We hope that makes sense. Basically, you’re allowed to be where your guardian gives you permission to be.

Now, in some places in the US, if you are 17, the police will take a runaway report, but they won’t make you go back home if you are currently in a safe place. If you want to know if you live in a place like that, you can contact your local police department and ask them how they respond to a 17 year old who leaves home without their guardian’s permission.
We can help you with that too. If you’d like to talk more about anything else or have more questions, please call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are confidential and anonymous. If you aren’t able to call, you can chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS