do I have to go home?

[Guest]

Hello, I'm 14 and don't want to go back home to my Mom but the courts say reunification is the goal. I can't go to my Dad's because he's already unfit. Do I have to go back to my moms if I don't want to?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS through our forum. We understand that you’re going through a tough time and we’re here to help!

It sounds like you’re having a hard time with your parents and they’re not really fit to parent you. You mentioned the court, if your parents are going through a divorce, sometimes youth have a say in where they want to live. We’re not legal experts, but if you wanted some legal aid resources, we can help you find those. They would be able to advocate for you and explain what rights you have. If you leave home and the police try to make you go back home, you can tell them you don’t want to. We have heard of scenarios where they take the youth to family member’s homes or to youth shelters. If you want to find out exactly what your local police will do, you can call into our safeline, and we can call out to them together. Lastly, we also offer conference calling between youth and parents. If you needed help talking to your mom about why you don’t want to live with her or have another idea of where you’d like to live, we can help facilitate that conversation.

We’re always here, open 24/7. If you want to explore your options more please don’t hesitate to call into our safeline. You’re not alone in this!

Be safe, NRS