Ran away and found at 18...

[Guest]

If someone ran away at 15, a wayward charge was put up by the parents, and the child was found at 18 years old what happens to that person?
What's the child's punishment by law?

[ccsmod8]

Re: Ran away and found at 18...

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us at the National Runaway Switchboard with your questions and we hope that we can be of service to you during this time. Generally, it is not a crime to runaway in most states and it is the responsibility of the police to return you home if you are found. It looks like your parents file a wayward report and that is within their rights at this point. Is the wayward report the same as a runaway report? What do you see yourself doing in terms of a plan when you choose to stay away for three years? What is your plan for survival for this length of time?

When a youth run away from home, one of the main issues is figuring out where you are going to live. Although it is not a crime to runaway, it is important to consider the legal trouble your friends might face if they are found to harbor you, and this is something that goes as far as punishable by a court. If you manage to lay low during the time you run away, it is expected for the runaway report to become void after a while but not until you are old enough to leave home without permission. Once you turn 18, you have most rights in most states as an adult.

There is not a lot punishment for runaways but there limits the amount of places you could go without parental permission. For instance, if you choose to stay at a shelter, you are going to need parental notification or consent. If you choose to emancipate yourself, it comes back to your parents decision to sign off on the necessary documents. However, some states allow for you to appeal the decision and empowers a judge decide your future. We hope that we were able to offer you enough to get you started on making the right choice for yourself. We want to continue to be of service to you and feel that you can also benefit by calling us at our 1800RUNAWAY number 24 hours/day. We do not judge you here and we are very confidential. Please stay safe and let us know what else we can do to help out. Good luck.

-NRS