⚠HELPPP⚠17 turning 18 Runaway

[Runawaylove_]

So, there's this girl. She ran away last year at 17 and is turning 18 this year. She's had history of running away in the past, which has put her on CHINS.(Also, filed as a "Missing Person") Following that, she's scheduled to meet in juvenile court every month to discuss how she's doing in her foster home. Her social worker also meets with her every month. She has had warnings in the past from her PO for missing court dates. Being that she's a run away now and has missed a year or so of court, will there be any consequences if she comes back at 18? And what will they be? (if there's any) Will she be able to claim her belongings as well? I read online, and have been told they usually "drop" the case since running away isn't necessarily a crime. I need confirmation though. Please legit answers only.🚫No BS, no lectures🚫 Thanks for reading and good luck.
P.S this is in Massachusetts!!

[ccsmod5]

re: ⚠HELPPP⚠17 turning 18 Runaway

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it seems like you are going through a pretty tough time at this point in your life. We’re glad that you were able to confide in us and seek help. From what you have shared, it looks like you would need more legal advice and resources in that area.

Unfortunately, we are not legal experts here which means that we would not be able to accurately speak on behalf of what the law might be like for every state. At this point, your best option would be to reach out to a legal aid and see how they would handle these types of situations. They would also be able to give you some general information and see what could be her best option. I have attached some information below:

LEGAL ASSISTANCE OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS

Phone number: 1-800-649-3718

If that number doesn’t work out for you or if you think of any other resources that we can help you with, please feel free to give us a call. Our number is 1-800-786-2929 and our lines are open 24/7. We wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you decide to do.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Runawaylove_]

Okay..

So, there's this girl. She ran away last year at 17 and is turning 18 this year. She's had history of running away in the past, which has put her on CHINS.(Also, filed as a "Missing Person") Following that, she's scheduled to meet in juvenile court every month to discuss how she's doing in her foster home. Her social worker also meets with her every month. She has had warnings in the past from her PO for missing court dates. Being that she's a run away now and has missed a year or so of court, will there be any consequences if she comes back at 18? And what will they be? (if there's any) Will she be able to claim her belongings as well? I read online, and have been told they usually "drop" the case since running away isn't necessarily a crime. I need confirmation though. Please legit answers only.🚫No BS, no lectures🚫 Thanks for reading and good luck.
P.S this is in Massachusetts!!

So let's say if it was for Massachusetts, like in general. How do most cases like this end up?

[ccsmod14]

Re: Okay..

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us again at the National Runaway Safeline. It is understandable to want all the help that you can get, it has got to be a tough situation that you are in and we're really glad that you have reached out.

We're not legal experts here, so we cannot say what would or would not happen. If you would like to call or chat us, we can talk further in detail about your situation and try to provide legal resources that would be able to better assist with legal possibilities.

We hope to talk or chat soon. Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

hi, i'm 17 and i turn 18 in 3 months. i'm in the bronx and i recently left home on a whim and moved in with my boyfriend and his family after a bad confrontation with my mom where after using drugs in the house, she was acting very odd and under the influence, threatened to lie to the police and say that i abused her, was screaming, put her hands on my bf and me and i felt unsafe and i didn't want to do anything that could get me in trouble. she also specifically told me to get out towards the end of the fiasco. she always uses drugs in the house that make me sick from the second hand of the smell and frequently acts out after getting high and forces me to come with her to drug spots while she buys here product and uses it. i have text proof of her actions as well. it is currently safe where i am and i don't know my other family well enough to want to move in with them.
if she calls the police on me as as a so called runaway, would they allow me to stay where i am?

[ccsmod15]

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 sounds like things are very stressful with your mother’s drug use and erratic behavior. You don’t deserve to live in an environment where you feel safe and we are sorry you’re going through this.
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 mother may file a runaway runaway report and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. Depending on your exact state, or even your local police department they may be more lenient since you are so close to 18. 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