17 Years Old and Lives In Kansas

[Unregistered]

I am trying to move out of my parents house, but they won't sign a letter to be notarized and we don't have enough time to file for emancipation. If I move, can my parents call the cops and have them pick me up? Can I cross into Missouri legally? Will my parents be held liable for bad things that might occur (Crimes, etc)?
Thanks.
Grace.

[ccsmod14]

Re: 17 Years Old and Lives In Kansas

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been having some difficulty moving out of your home. We are glad that you are reaching out, we are here to help you the best that we can.

So it sounds like your parents have given you permission to leave home, but they will not give you a letter stating so. Do you know what the reason for this is? It sounds like you have a plan as to where you would go. Is this a safe place that you think you would be able to stay for an extended amount of time? We do not tell you what to do here, because you know your situation better than we do. We just want to make sure you are safe in whatever decision you make.

We are not legal experts here, but generally speaking if you have consent from your legal guardians to stay in a different place other than their home, there should not be any other legal issues. In some cases, things can become more complicated regarding medical attention, school enrollment, etc. Do you know if your parents would be willing to sign over temporary legal guardianship to the individuals you want to stay with? If your legal guardians have not given you permission to leave home before the age of 18, and you still decide to leave, it is technically considered running away. If they made a runaway report, and the police found you, they would just bring you back home. It is not a criminal offense to run away, it is a status offense, which is most similar to a parking ticket.

If you would like further help for your situation, you can always call our 24/7, anonymous and confidential hotline at 1800runaway and we can provide you appropriate local resources to you such as legal aid. We are here to support you in any way that we can.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

16 year old have another place to move not related

If I go to court can I move out with legal rights

[ccsmod15]

Re: 17 Years Old and Lives In Kansas

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like you’re considering moving out and you have some questions about how court might factor into that. We’re not legal experts, so it’s difficult for us to say with certainty what the process would be to go to court to move out at the age of 17. Generally speaking, a youth would need to go through something called Emancipation to be able to move out as a minor, and each state has their own rules for how this might work. Feel free to reach out to us by phone or via chat and we can look into what your state might offer, as well as who you would need to speak to in order to start that process. We wish you the best of luck. Stay safe!

[Guest]

My 17 year old niece lives with her father. He has custodial rights. He is mentally abusive and does drugs in the home. He does the drugs in front of her and with another sibling in the home who is an adult along with is live in girlfriend. He is verbally abusive to her calling her a whore because she wears leggings. He makes her use her own money to purchase food and hygiene items. He took her car battery out of her vehicle at her place of work and stole her paycheck from her at her place of work . The police were notified. He did this because my niece has been staying with her mother. The car was purchased by her mother. The insurance for the car is in her fathers name and she gives him the money to pay for it. Her name is on the title. She has been staying with her mother and would like to remain there due to the mental atmosphere at her fathers home and the daily drug use. The police and CPS case worker are trying to manipulate her into going back to her fathers home. She has refused to go back to his home because she does not feel safe there. The police stated that he has the right to keep her car as he is her father and this is his way of disciplining her. She is currently staying with her aunt on a police protective arrangement for 72 hours. They have held one mediated group session between the father and my niece. The meeting will be continued on Monday because neither party will agree where she can live. What rights does my niece have. What must she do in order to stay with her mother. She turns 18 in 4 months. The police and the CPS officer will not do anything about the drugs in the home or the mental abuse. My niece did inform the police and the CPS caseworker about her father fraudulently getting food stamps they were not concerned about that either. They told her you are trying everything to not go back to his house aren't you. The CPS caseworker threatened my niece that if she did not agree to go back to her fathers home she would be put in foster care some where in western Kansas. This is an extremely scary situation for my niece to be in. She felt that she could get help from the case worker in regards to her living situation at her father's home. She is being treated like a criminal because she wants to get away from an abusive parent. My niece is an A student, does not do any drugs, does not drink alcohol and does not have any criminal background history. She simply does not want to live with her father and would like to live with her mother. She lives in Kansas. Any advice you have will be appreciated.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: My 17yr old niece #6



Hello,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We are sorry to hear that your niece is in what sounds like an abusive situation that has been met with little cooperation for her safety by authorities.
She does not deserve to be abused and hopefully she understands that she is not responsible for the things that have taken place.
You mentioned that she is an extremely good student with good characteristics. She sounds like a good person caught up in a bad situation.
It also sounds like her mother is involved with trying to gain custody of your niece.

She is fortunate to have you and her mother for support.
Her safety is important and for now it seems that she is currently with her mother.
Sometimes in situations such as this an option might be to look for legal help with the situation.
Has mom looked into getting a lawyer?

This may be a way to get information about any laws pertaining to custody transfers or children’s rights etc.

Since you don’t feel your niece’s needs are being met another option might be to ask her mother if she has talked with any supervisors of the case manager involved with handing her daughter’s case. You are welcome to give her mother our contact information: 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org (Live Chat).
We can provide a forum to talk about the situation and explore whatever options she might have in mind about dealing with the situation.

We understand how concerned you are about your niece’s wellbeing.
Your support for her must mean a lot to both she and her mother.
Good job.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 17 years old and am trying to leave home. I have a job, getting my cna, and am a jounier in highschool. I am going to be getting my GED and try to be out by the begining of 2018. The problems is my guardian wont let me leave, I am having to be a monther to a child that isnt mine, I have to care for my guardian due to the fact that she is 61 and has health issues, and I have to watch over my uncle who is an alcoholic and doesn't take care of his child. I have people in Kansas and Missouri who are willing to take me but again, my guardian won't let me leave. I need to know if I run away to Missouri should the police be able to pick me up and take me back to my home in Kansas.

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you want to know if you left your state would you be taken back if you were reported as a runaway. We want you to know that we are not legal experts but yes, to our knowledge you would be taken back home if you were found by the police. If you would like to talk more about this you are welcome to give us a call anytime. We can also make a phone call out to the police with you to find out more exact information about running away. 1-800-786-2929
We wish you the best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I turned. Over my rights as my youngest daughter. My oldest daughter is. Living in Texas with her dad and step mom. She is 17yr old and has ran away from. Home. She has a bit of a wild and out of control. Her dad wants to sent her to me in Kansas.

[ccsmod9]

Hi There,
Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline today. We’re sorry to hear about your daughter running away. It sounds like a really frustrating time for you and your family. We want you to know that we understand it takes a great deal of courage to reach out and ask for help. We’ll try to help the best we can.
We are not legal experts here at NRS. It sounds like having given up your parental rights may make your daughter living with you complicated. If she is frequently running away and getting into trouble, you may not be able to call the police to file a runaway report or get her enrolled in services through the state for youth that are difficult to manage. It may be advantageous to consult a lawyer or call your local children and family services for more information.
If you wanted, you could call here and we could walk you through some options that might be available to you in your city in KS. Sometimes talking about the situation in more detail can yield options you may not have thought of before. We’re here 24/7 and are confidential. Please consider giving us a call directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).
Thank you for posting,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello I am 17 years old and I need to leave my house. I was wondering if I hoped on a bus to Minnesota from Kansas City without my mother’s consent would I have to be brought back? Now my mother does not like me she is very verbally abusive and she has hit me and is very malicious with me at anything I do or say. I am simply fed up with how she treats me. My whole family is against me at this point including my two older sisters and one brother and i just wanna leave to Minnesota because my family treats me terribly I have a boyfriend in Minnesota where my father lives too! And I just don’t know if my dad even has a little bit of custody of me or not. But I was just wondering how could I leave without having the cops bring me back to my “mom” my mom will not be understanding to anything I do or say she doesn’t care about me she has said that she wishes I was never born! What kid wants to hear that from they’re parent! I smoke a little marijuana for anxiety because living here is terrible and she is now she gave me the option to put me in jail for possession of weed and me and my sister have recently got in an altercation and I accidentally pushed her and I apologized to her and my sister said it was okay but now my sister is gonna take side with my mom and try to get me in trouble because my mother hates me according to her... I need help to leave this abusive house I don’t know who else to go to I dont know who to talk to I just want to know how I can get out of my house and away to somewhere better somewhere where I am wanted!!! And where I can feel safe!

[ccsmod3]

Hello,

Thanks to reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your having a tough time at home. You mentioned you were experiencing some abuse at home- this is never okay and no one deserves to be treated in that way. You do have the option to report this abuse- this can be done at Child Help, the National Child Abuse Hotline. You can learn more at childhelp.org or call them at 1-800-422-4453. If at any time you feel unsafe, please consider calling the police. Although we aren’t legal experts, it is important for you to know that because you are not yet an adult, if your parents file a missing persons report the police will bring you home. You could also call the non-emergency police department line anonymously, they will be able to provide you with accurate information about runaway laws and can answer your questions about drug possession. Filing an abuse report could be a first step in finding an alternate living arrangement where you feel safer than you currently do at home; we are here to help you through that process. Also, don’t hesitate to talk to a trusted adult, like a teacher or guidance counselor- they may be able to help you through this difficult time.
Feel free to call us at 1-800-Runaway- we are a 24/7 hotline and here to help. Thanks for reaching out.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Guest]

i am almost 17 (in june) my dad I in a wheel chair I have 2 sisters I will be graduating in may of 2019. Now here is the catch due to some issues he let me go and stay at a friends house I now have a my own room I have a job and I am at school every day. Now he hasn't told me to come back yet but I have a feeling that it will be coming to that soon I visit home almost everyday is there anything I can do to make it to where I can stay there when I go home I get to the point where I want to runaway and I have ran away before many times I have not ran in over a year HHHHEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPP

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
It sounds like things had been really hard for you while you were home, and it is understandable that you are afraid of having to go back now that you are at a place where you are, in many ways, doing well. Thank you for reaching out, and I hope that you will be able to live in a place where you feel settled.

It is difficult for me to know what specific options you have without knowing much about your situation. I don’t know about your dad, your relationship with him, or if there have been any supportive people in your life who might be able to help if he does decide he wants you home. Leaving home without permission from a parent can be problematic—as you already know. In general, there are two possible ways a minor can leave home if their parent doesn’t allow it: Firstly, they can apply for emancipation. This can be a long and complicated process, which would require proof that you have a place to live as well as a means of supporting yourself (which it sounds like you do have). If you want to speak more about what this might look like, you can call us at 1800 RUNAWAY. Additionally, if home is unsafe, there are times when calling Child Protective Services can be helpful. Their number is 800 922 5330.

Please feel free to call our hotline if you would like to speak more about what has been going on and what you can do. It sounds like you have been doing really well with keeping up school and a job in the place you are at now, and it is good that you are trying to keep that going. Thanks again for writing to us and I hope that things turn out well.

[Guest]

My girlfriend ran away from foster care and she was living with me and the cops showed up to take her where would they take and can i get any information about where she is

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS. We understand how stressful things have been for you and we appreciate you reaching out to us. Our hope is to provide you with tips and resources in order to help you make the decision that is best for you.
From what we gather about your story it seems like the best option is to call us again. We understand it might be difficult to not have your girlfriend with you. However it might be best to wait till she is able to contact you. If she is a minor there is not much you can do since she is a ward of the state. If you would like to talk more in depth about the situation please feel free to.
Again thank you so much for reaching out to us. We know it can take a lot to reach out and seek help. Please know if you have more questions or concerns you can feel free to contact us at (1-800-786-2929) or online through our chat option at (www.1800runaway.org).
Best Wishes- NRS

[Guest]

Hi, I’m 16 and currently live back and fourth between my moms and dads house (both in Kansas). I turned 16 a little over a month ago, and I’m really wanting to move out. My family and I don’t share a lot of the same views and it’s causing me a lot of stress mentally. I have a job, and an apartment that one of my friends and I are wanting to rent out. If I don’t have my parents consent can I move out, or will the cops be able to bring me back? I read something on the internet saying that the cops couldn’t bring me back unless I was in danger but then again I also read something that I could be filed as a run away? Would it be smarter to wait until I’m 17? I just want to get out as soon as possible without having any legal trouble. Advice?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a frustrating time right now. Sometimes there can be misleading information on the internet. We are not legal experts but we do have general knowledge of the laws. In Kansas the age of majority is 18 years old, which means for you to legally leave home without your parent’s consent you need to be 18 years old. If you were to leave before you are 18 your parent’s have the right to file a runaway report. Running away is not a criminal offense it is a status offense. What that means is that if you were to leave home the police would most likely bring you back home. It is very likely that most landlords would not rent out to minors (those under 1. You could consider asking your parents if you could stay with a friend or family member.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions please give us a call at 1800RUNAWAY, we are here 24/7. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am a 17 years old in Kansas. I live with my dad but he is very toxic and I want to live with my step mom that does no have legal rights to me. If he let me go with her, could I legally live with her?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting NRS. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation and we’re glad you reached out to us.
We are not legal experts, but we may be able to connect you with some resources that may be helpful to you. The age of majority in Kansas – the age when you can legally leave home – is 18. If you leave home, your dad can file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime, but if you are picked up by the police they will likely take you home.
The police may not actively look for you. You could consider calling the non-emergency number for the local police department and they may be able to tell you how they handle runaway reports.
You should also be aware that if you move in with your mom and the police find you there, she could be charged with harboring a runaway. The police could also potentially tell you how they would handle a case of harboring a runaway.
If you don’t have a lawyer, you could also consider contacting Kansas Legal Services at www.kansaslegalservices.org. They may be able to offer you advice or refer you to some other resources that could be helpful.
You can also consider contacting the National Child Abuse Hotline at www.childhelp.org or 1-800-422-4453. They may be able to connect you with resources that may be helpful to you.
You can also call us at www.1800runaway.org or 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are available 24/7 to talk to you and discuss options that may be available to you.

[Guest]

I live the state of Kansas and I am 17 and pregnant. I am trying to move somewhere that is more healthy for my child and I. The house that I am currently staying at isn’t healthy. They do not help me like I need help and none of them have jobs except for my fiancé. What can they do if I move out at 17 and what can the police do?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. It sounds like you are in a tough spot and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do. You mentioned that home isn't healthy and that your needs aren't being met. If any abuse or neglect is happening at home you do have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering.

We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your parents (or guardians) can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned home. It is worth noting that if you go to stay with your fiance, whoever the legal adult in the home could potentially be charged with harboring a runaway, which is a misdemeanor. Penalties for harboring a runaway vary from state to state, police officer to officer, and how your parents (or guardians) view the situation.

It sounds like you love your baby a lot and care deeply about ensuring their safety. Pregnancy can often be overwhelming and creating a prenatal care plan can be a confusing process. If you do not already have an obstetrician, you can contact Planned Parenthood by going to plannedparenthood.org or by calling 800-230-7526 for some assistance. Your local Planned Parenthood should be able to provide pregnancy planning services, prenatal services, childbirth classes, and postpartum exams for after the baby comes.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Im 15 turning 16 in 2 1/2 weeks. My house hold is very toxic and I'm extremely depressed and I want to run away... If I were to go stay with my 17 year old boyfriend that is on probation would he get in trouble if I got caught at his house? I just want to know what would happen. Would the cops find me right away? what would happen if I went back home voluntarily without contacting authorities? what would happen if I was caught by police? Also, could my parents press charges on my boyfriend for keeping me at his house even though I went over there voluntarily?

[ccsmod13]

Thank you for contacting NRS. It sounds like you are going through a tough time and we are happy you reached out to us.
We are not legal experts, but we can offer some information that may be helpful to you. The age of majority (the age at which you can legally leave home) in Kansas, is 18. If you leave home your parents can file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime. If you are picked up by the police, they will likely take you back home.

If you go to your boyfriend’s house and you are picked up there, he could be charged with harboring a runaway. The fact that he is on probation could create other issues for him as well.

The way the police deal with runaway cases varies from place to place. You can consider calling the non-emergency number of your local police department and they may be able to tell you how they handle runaway and harboring cases. If you are not comfortable calling on your own, you can call us and we will make the call with or for you.
If you have questions about potential legal issues, you can also consider contacting local legal aid resources. A potential resource is Kansas Legal Services at https://www.kansaslegalservices.org. They may be able to answer your questions or refer you to other resources in your area.

Depression is also a very serious issue. If you want to talk to someone about your depression, you can consider contacting NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) at 1-800-950-NAMI , www.nami.org or text NAMI to 741741. NAMI has volunteers available to talk and to provide referrals to other resources that may be helpful to you.

You can always also contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or www.1-800-runaway.org. We have volunteers available 24/7 to talk and to help you fine the resources you need.

We wish you the best!