Can I move in with my father?

[Guest]

Hi, I live in Missouri and am currently 15 going on to 16 soon. I live in an emotionally and mentally abusive house. My step father is abusive to his child and I am scared he will try to hurt me or worse kill me. My father wants to take me in but my guardian is my mother who is mentally abusive to me. My father can actually help me financially while mother can not and we sometimes starve for a few days. I am at the point where I just have to and need to run away, but I want to live with my father. I need to know if there is a way to do this and I don't want to interact with my mother or step father ever again. Can I move into my dad's? I can't take mush more of this, please help.

[ccsmod6]

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to us. From what we read it sounds as if you feel like you don’t feel safe or happy living with your mom and your step-father and you would prefer to live with your father but the only problem is that your mom is your legal guardian at this time. One thing to realize is that you do not deserve to be mentally, physically, or emotionally abused in any way and we are sorry that you are going through that at this time. First, it is important to note that we are not lawyers or have any kind of legal background. While running away isn’t illegal, it is considered a status offense. It is just something that you cannot do since you are a minor. If you were to just go to your dad’s at this time, he could possibly be charged with harboring a runaway, or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. You do have the option of seeing if your mom (your legal guardian) would agree to an alternative living arrangement.
All parties involved in this may want to contact legal services (lawyer or local police) to determine what kind of paperwork needs to be completed regarding enrolling you in school, receiving medical care, etc). Also, a good resource to keep in mind is the National Child Abuse Hotline is 1-800-422-4453.
Again, we’re really glad that you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good to see. If you have any other questions or would like some more resources, please do not hesitate to call us or chat with us here online. We are open 24 hours, so you can call us whenever you feel comfortable. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.
-NRS

[Guest]

Okay, well my father sees me every 2 weeks on the weekends and gives child support. Should I have a right to say or is it a no? My sister is moving out, she's 19, and she's scared to leave me with them. Should I have my parents, mother and father, sit down with me and the police station or at a Court house? Also, will it cost money?

[ccsmod10]

Hey again,

Thanks for getting back to us so quickly. Unfortunately, we’re non-directive at NRS, so we can’t say what you should or should not do. You mentioned having a sit down with your mom and dad, that is a very mature idea. If you’re nervous about doing that, we do offer conference calling between youth and parents. So we can help facilitate a conversation as well. The best way for us to get the whole picture and think through options, is if you call into our Safeline. We can look on our database and try to find free legal aid resources that are in your area.

Again, we’re open 24/7, so we’re always a call away.

Best, NRS