im 16 and u want to move out of my parents house

I need a job so that i can pay room and board but most places aren't hiring minors

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS and we appreciate you sharing your situation with us. From what you have shared, your adoptive mother is very abusive and is making home an unsafe place for you to be. You deserve to be treated with respect and to feel supported. It's understandable you would want to get away from a toxic space.

Generally speaking, your adoptive mother is your legal guardian until you 18, so she has control over where you live until then. It also sounds like social services might be giving you an option to set up an alternative living arrangement as a possible option for leaving your mother. If you were to leave home without notifying your mother or going through social services, your mother can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal but it is a status offense. This means your mother can ask law enforcement to return you home if she knows where you are staying. Even if you notify police that you are safe, they would likely still have to take you back to your adoptive mother if she insisted.

We hope this information helps as you think through your next steps. If you would like to talk more and explore your possible options, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We are available for 24/7 for immediate support by phone 1-800-786-2929 or through live chat at 1800runaway.org

Stay safe and take care,
NRS

I’m 16 turning 17 in November, I recently called social services on my adoptive mother in hopes of getting out of this forsaken home, she emotionally and mentally abuses me on a daily basis, calls me worthless and a waste of money, she made fun of my because when I was 12 I got raped by my foster brother. She told me that it never happened and that I was a whore and just wanted to cover it up. Which was the most hurtful thing anyone has ever said to me. Social service’s still hasn’t called me back which to me sounds like they didn’t accept the case. I have a job, I make really good money for my age, and I buy my own clothing, shoes, and food because my adoptive mother will not buy any for me. I was wondering if I could choose to leave the home and alert law enforcement to notify them that I’m leaving I talked to social services and they said I could but, it would have to be a safe home and the guardians would have to pass a background check and all that. But do I need social services permission to do this or can I just leave and notify them?

[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 maltreatment and tension. It sounds like you're very mature and responsible and have been putting a great deal of thought into this decision.

You mentioned that your mom abuses you and that just today she grabbed you by the hair and this raises concern for your safety and well being. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. If you are currently at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to seek emergency assistance immediately (if you feel comfortable with the police you can also call 911). You have the right to report any abuse or harm that has been going on at home. 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. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

You briefly touched upon consistent suicidal feelings. We care a lot about your safety, and we can help you find resources that can help you cope with these feelings. You do not have to face this alone, and there is so much help out there for you. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline could be a good resource for you. You can check them out at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or you can call 1-800-273-8255 for help and support any time. If you’d like some additional support, an organization that may be helpful is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). You can contact them by calling 1-800-950-NAMI or you can text them by sending NAMI to 741741

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.

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Stay safe,
NRS

hi, idk what to do. I’m 16 and live in Oregon. I have my own job and could financially support myself alone, but i’m too scared to file for emancipation while living under the same roof as my mom due to abuse. I have suicidal thought every day due to my current living space. I have other places to go, but can’t run away. Tonight I tried to leave to go to my friends house (whose nana is 100% okay with me moving in, even though I was only going to spend the night) well my mom wouldn’t let me even though she had just flipped out on me for never paying for anything. Although I pay for way more then I should have to at my age. Anyways her reaction to our argument was to grab me by my hair and throw me in my room. This is just one incident, tonight’s incident. I don’t feel safe. I haven’t for a long time and I really need help.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We are not legal experts just so that you know. In general as a minor you cannot enter into a contract. But you might consider checking the laws in your state about this matter.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Take care,
NRS

I live in Los Angeles California and I just want to leave by 16 or 17 by my own no one else. Will I be able to rent my own place at that age?

[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 dealing with a lot right now.
Because you are a minor it is your legal guardian’s responsibility to provide shelter for you. Because they have kicked you out it is considered neglect. You can make a report by talking with the police or by calling Child Help at : 1800-422-4453.
We are unsure if they would help you get to a friend’s, but you can always try and ask. Also you can consider talking with your friend and seeing if they have options to get you to their house.
Your safety and health is our top concern, we are here for you 24/7. If you have any other questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. Best of luck!
NRS

i live in Atlanta Georgetown and I get kicked out and if I take it up to the authorities will they help me get to Gallatin Tennessee to stay with my friend

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

Hello I have a 16 young old so that's not going to school and not following the rules that I put in place

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options since you do not want to stay with your grandpa. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws as leaving his home would legally be considered running away since he has custody.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

Im 16 and i live with my grandpa hes had custody since i was a baby because of cps he wants to move now if i go with him i wont see my parents anymore because i will be to far away i dont want to live with my grandpa anymore i want to go live with my mom and dad can i just leave on my own im scared cps might get involved again if i just go against what my grandpa says

[ccsmod16]

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We are so sorry to hear that things at home have been so difficult for you. It sounds like you’re hoping to live on your own and you’re looking for some help on taking the next steps. We can’t tell you what to do, but we will do our best to share information that might be helpful to you.

If you’re looking to get an apartment, on option would be to talk to your parents about consenting for you to live outside their home. If you feel like you need help having this conversation with them, we encourage you to reach out to us, and we can help mediate a call, or help brainstorm the best approach to this conversation. Something to consider as you explore moving out is whether you’d be able to sign a rental lease in your state at the age of 16. The laws for what you can and cannot do if you are considered a minor can vary from state to state, so it may help you to know this if you decide to move towards living away from your parents. We’re not legal experts, but from what we understand, if you’re considered a minor in your state, your parents or legal guardians would be responsible for your care until you turn 18 years old. Even though they’ve said some really hurtful things to you, if you leave without their consent, they can file a runaway report with their local police department and, if you are found, the local police would typically return you to your legal guardian. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need someone to talk to, or if you’d like more information on the options we discussed.

Whatever you decide, please know that we are here for you, and we will support you and help you stay as safe as possible as you decide your next steps. We are available 24/7 at 1.800.RUNAWAY (786.2929), as well as via chat at www.1800runaway.org . We’re here to listen, here to help.

Stay safe!
-NRS

Im 16 and i live in oklahoma I want to move out of my parents house and get an apartment my parents have told me many times how much i'm not wanted or loved please I need help.