rules for homeless shelter

[Unregistered]

I dont have a place and considering going to a homeless shelter. Im 17 and in california and was wondering what would happen if I go in one.Do I need identification, will they try to reach my parents and force me back home, will they let me leave to go to school.? Thank you .

[ccsmod14]

Re: rules for homeless shelter

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. This sounds like a tough situation, you deserve to be in a safe place. We're glad that you reached out, we're here to help the best that we can.

You asked a lot of good questions here. It sounds like you are really trying to make a plan for yourself and figure out your next steps. Usually homeless shelters require that the parents of the youth to be contacted, since you are under 18 years old. If you are under 18 years old your parents have a legal obligation to care for you, or find adequate housing if you cannot live with them. If you are a runaway, and your parents reported you as a missing person, the police may be contacted and they will send you home.

Since you are 17 there is a chance the your local police department might not search for you, however this may limit your services if you do not have parents consent. We can help you find resources and help you make a plan of action. We can help you find a shelter and other options such as transitional housing, and we can also call out to these places with you. Most shelters will require some type of identification so that they know who you are/who is staying in their shelter. Shelters also usually have specific hours, allowing individuals to spend the day away for things like school. They may also have programs for schooling as well. You asked good questions that are likely dependent on the specific place.

We encourage you to call us at 1-800-786-2929 for further assistance. We're here to support you.

Thank you and good luck,

NRS

[Guest]

i live in missouri. i have a big secret that i am keeping from my parents and i know if i tell them they will never trust me agian and i want to run away and im planning on doing it in january, 2018. im 14 years old. i have no money and im not sure where to stay and how to keep warm and get food when i run out. i need help and i dont want to go home

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for writing in. It sounds like you’re in a tough situation and that you’re concerned about your parents’ reaction. We’re unsure of what your relationship with your parents is like, but you might consider asking another adult to help you have a conversation with them, like a family member, guidance counselor, or therapist. We understand that this isn’t always an option, though, and you know your situation far better than we do.
It sounds like you’re thinking of leaving home. We’re not legal experts, but to our knowledge if you leave home before you turn 18, your parents have the right to file a runaway report. If the police are able to locate you, they may return you home. Any adult you stay with may be charged with harboring a runaway. That being said, it’s always a good idea to have a plan. You might consider staying with another family member or a friend. While shelters may be an option temporarily, they typically need guardian consent after a certain amount of time.
If you’d like to talk more specifically about your situation or would like to get specific resources in your area, we’re happy to help. Please feel free to reach out to us any time at 1-800-786-2929. Best of luck.

[Guest]

I live in Staten Island and I am 15 years old and I ran away for plenty of reasons I don't wanna mention here and I have no where to turn but I'm worried if I go to a shelter my other siblings will be put into foster care is there anyway around them getting taken away.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I live in Staten Island and I am 15 years old

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you ran away from home and would like to stay in a shelter but are worried about your siblings being placed in foster care by child protective services.
Children are most likely removed from a home that puts them at risk of being abused.
It really depends on the findings once a report has been filed and a case manager or social worker investigates the allegations.

We are sorry if you or anyone of your siblings are faced with any type of abuse. No one deserves to be abused and have the right to a safe environment.
It is not the fault of the person being abused.
Our concern is for your safety.
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed.
It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

NRS is here to listen and here to help, if you would like to speak more about your situation contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or live chat at www.1800Runaway.org

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Im 16 about to be 17 next month and i cant deal with oiving with my dad . He always picks fights and getins in my face telling me to hit him and i live in a 2 bed room house with 7 people and there is mice everywhere and i want a to live in a better environment to prevent me from doing something and going to jail . I have a grandma who wants me to move in but my dad wont let me . I NEED HELP

[ccsmod9]

Hello there,
Thanks for coming to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.
It sounds like things at home are really tough. We’re so sorry to hear about the conditions you are made to live in. Your father sounds really hard to get along with. It is understandable that you’d want a better place for yourself.
We’re not legal experts here, but the conditions you described and dad’s actions may count as abuse or neglect. If you’d like to learn more about what you can do about this, you could visit www.childhelp.org for more information about abuse reporting. If you’d like help with filing a report, you could call us directly and someone here would be happy to help you.
Sometimes, if child protective services get involved, they may deem someone like your grandmother better fit to care for you, even if they don’t have parental rights. This isn’t always the case, but if you’d like, we could conference call with your state’s abuse reporting hotline to see what they might say about this. We’re available 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you called we’d be able to set this conference call up.
Please consider talking to us directly so we can try to brainstorm a good solution with you. We’re confidential as well so we are a safe place.
Stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

What are the rules for the runaway shelter? Do I get to go outside or talk to friends or even go to school?

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

Every shelter is different and so you would have to inquire about their rules when you call to see if there is room. Most would allow you to leave and go to school but may have a curfew. Depending on your age, some shelters may also need parental consent. If you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could look up shelters in your area for you and also help you call out to them to ask questions if you are nervous.

Let us know how we can best help,

NRS

[Guest]

If I don't have ID and go to a shelter will they still let me in? I'm 16 years old and I'm in NY

[ccsmod10]

Hey,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step is, or what options you have. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need.

Unfortunately, shelters in NYC require ID’s in order to stay there. There may be some that don’t, we’re just not aware of them. We do offer to call out to shelters for or with youth, so we could try to advocate on your behalf. If you’d like our help calling out to the youth shelters, give us a call.

Our safeline is open 24/7.
Be well, NRS

[Guest]

im 13 and my family is emotionally abusing me. my friends mom is making my friend feel worthless, she started cutting so i asked her if she would want to run away, but we dont know where to go and if we need a parents permission to get into a homeless shelter. btw we live in Michigan

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you and your friend are in very frustrating situations at home. No one deserves to be emotionally abused or made to feel worthless. We aren’t legal experts by any means, but we can definitely try to help you figure out your options and give you general information.
If you feel you are being abused, one resource that you might consider reaching out to is the National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453. This hotline can give you more information about abuse reporting and help you figure out what your options are. Again, no one deserves to be abused.
You mentioned that your friend has been feeling worthless and started cutting. This can be a difficult situation to be in, and anyone who is harming themselves deserves to feel safe and supported. One resource that your friend might find helpful is To Write Love on Her Arms, which is a great website and textline for youth who engage in self-harm. Their website is twloha.com. Your friend can also text 741-741 if she is in a crisis.
As for leaving home…we’re not legal experts, but generally speaking you need to be 18 to leave home without your parents’ permission. If you do leave home without permission, your family would have the right to file a runaway report and if the police are able to locate you, they will return you home. You mention a shelter as an option, so it sounds like you’ve done your research and have thought about this. To our knowledge, most shelters would require your parents’ permission to stay there. Another option that you might consider is asking your parents for permission to stay with a friend or another family member.
Yet another option is to try to have a conversation with your parents about how you’ve been feeling at home and how they can make you feel more supported. It can be helpful to have someone around like a guidance counselor or therapist to help keep the conversation fair and productive. Here at NRS, we also offer a conference call service and can help you have that conversation. If you’re interested in this, please feel free to give us a call!
Thank you again for reaching out. It takes a lot of courage to share what’s been going on and we hope that this information was helpful to you. Please feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-786-2929 if you need help locating shelter resources or figuring out your next steps. We encourage you to give your honest feedback of our forum services at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think . We wish you the best of luck!

[Guest]

Im 19 yrs old and things are just not right at home or in my area i live in New York but i wanted to move to cali and find a shelter I can stay until i get on my feet. Im not sure if its a good idea because i may not get a job because im fresh out of high school just starting in college and its really hard to find anything. Is there anything or anyway any shelter could help

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are wanting to move from New York to California. Having a plan about where you would go and how you would take care of yourself is important. There are resources such as shelters or transitional living programs that could help you. You could visit the website (homelessshelterdirectory.org) for local resources. If you would like additional resources or just want to talk, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

[Guest]

Hi I’m 17 and I live in New York im going to be 18 this year and I have no place to go I ran away from home but I’m scared to go to a homeless shelter because they might not accept me for being under age. Is there anywhere I can go even though I’m under age?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need.

We have a database of resources and if you’re able to call in, we can try to brainstorm with you and get a better idea of your situation. If you need somewhere to stay, while on the run, we can try to find a runaway shelter for you. They are shelters just for youth!

Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS

[Guest]

Im 25 and have a 2 year old and my parents hate me and wanna throw us out and go to a shelter but im scared and have anxiety and idk how my sons going to react. Never been to one. Got offerd a job interview monday and my parents said i have to be out by monday before he comes home from work and idk what to do.

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

Sounds like you are in an incredibly difficult situation with your parents kicking out you and your son. Here at NRS we truly want to help.

Most of our shelter resources are for youth 24 and under, however, we would be happy to look to see what we have in our database in your area. Please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat us for those resources. To look for adult and family shelters you might look at the Homeless Shelter Directory www.homelessshelterdirectory.org for shelters near you. Another adult housing resource that might be helpful for you is the United Way. You can reach the United Way information and referral line by dialing out to 2-1-1 or going to www.211.org. If you haven't already, you might also try to ask any friends or other family in the area if you and your son can temporarily stay with them. You might see if there is anyway you can compromise with your parents to see if they will let you stay past the job interview or until you obtain a paycheck so that you do not have to go directly into a shelter.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like us to look for shelter resources for you, or if you need support.

We are here to listen, here to help.

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

[Guest]

Hi, this isn't about me but more so about my boyfriend, He is in foster care and the people he was living with sent him back to where he grew up (El Paso Texas) and I was wondering how all it will work there. He is 17 so will they let him out if he doesn't get put in a foster house after he graduates (he is a senior now)? will they have Wifi? will he be able to call me seeing as he doesn't have a phone that is set up (connects only to wifi)? I am scared and I am worried about him very much (he is on the plane to El Paso now).

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like your boyfriend is in a very difficult spot right now, and we're glad he has someone like you who is willing to support him. We aren't sure exactly where your boyfriend is going to be staying in El Paso, but if it's a shelter, each shelter has different amenities, and you'll have to contact the shelter directly if you're looking to find out more about those amenities. If you have more questions, or if we misunderstood your message, call us at 1-800-786-2929.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 18 about to graduate I stay with a high school buddy and I have to be out after graduation am I edgible for the homeless shelter

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

We are so glad you reached out. It sounds like a rough situation you're in and we hope we can help. Each shelter is different, and different shelters with different eligibility requirements exist in different areas. If you call us at 1-800-786-2929, we can try to help you find a shelter in your area.

Best,
NRS