17 Y/O run away rights in Arizona

[ccsmod15]

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We recognize that it takes courage to ask for help, and we appreciate you. We are so sorry that your living situation has been so difficult. It is never ok for anyone to withold basic needs from you or to actively prevent you from being able to access school. It sounds like you have questions about what your options are. We cannot tell you what to do, but we can do our best to help you explore options.

If you feel your home situation makes you unsafe, you have the right to report it. Organizations like Child Help are available if you want to talk more about the conditions you have been living in and where you can report what has been going on. They can be reached by calling 1.800.422.4453, or by visiting their website at https://www.childhelp.org/ . There is no guarantee that they would remove you from your home, but speaking with someone can help you figure out whether it might be an option for you.

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 forum 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

i am 17 and five months my gardians want to send me to the millatary or mexico and planing on running away they dont buy me cloths hygien supplies shoes but want me to take care of there dogs clean up after then they cuss me out if the dogs do sumthing but i ask for simple things and get the door shut in my face and get ignored i feel hopless living here i have a shoplifting report but its going to get dismiss on 11 sept and after that i am leaving they dont let me go outside they took my room door off i dont have a phone they promised me to get me one if i potty train the dogs i did but they just use me her husband is a barber and he only cut my hair 1 once or twice out of a year i been living with them they get mad that i eat there food like if i could just go to the store to buy something i live in the middle of the dessert were new houses are built no privacy and they also turn off the wifi for days or weeks on me even if its school because i do online school and then i have to make it up depending on the days i missed last time i hade to make up 22 hours of school because i couldent use the wifi for like a week and a half they dont invite me no were with them only to church i am required to go or else i have to do extra chores like clean the dogs ******** all in the back yard i take care of there dogs more than they do its like if i am the one that wanted dogs they dont treat me like a family member they treat me like a maid i feel like. is running away the best option because i wanted the state to take me in but she has to approve it for me to be the state custody and she told me those were my only 2 options join the millatary or get send to mexico with my real mom that abondon me when i was 6-7 months old and i am not familar with mexico a lot of cartels innocent people dieing they just want to get rid of me some way i am not a bad kid just make poor disions sometimes my father passed away when i was 14 my only takecare giver and they accept me but what should i do run away and work because i love working very hard worker.

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you care a lot about your grandson and are doing your best to try and help him. That sounds like a complicated situation since mom threw him out, but has also now reported him as a runaway. Mom kicking him out initially is considered neglect and a report can be made to Child Protective Services. For you to get custody of him, mom would either have to give permission or you would need to get temporary guardianship over him. We can help by looking for some legal aid resources in your area to help with that process. If this interests you, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

i am a grandmother of my grandson who is 16 1/2 years old and want to move in with me, he has left his home his mother threw him out cause he is now going to be a daddy girfriend is still with him
what rights do i have as a grandmother to take my grandosn in? mom has reported him as a runaway now since its been 4 weeks he has not been home

[ccsmod3]

Hi, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are wanting to move out as soon as possible due to how your mother has been treating you. You never deserve to be treated in this way. It sounds like you are trying to make it through until when you can leave and we care about your safety and do not want you taking your own life. In Arizona, the age of majority is 18, so if you were to run away before that, your mother could file a runaway report with the police and you would likely be brought back home. An option is to reach out to local police to find out their policies especially since you are so close to being 18 and they can answer if they would even try to bring you back or not. It sounds like your boyfriend is a person for support in your life, it can also be helpful to try and talk with any trusted adults about what you have been experiencing. We are also here to support in any way that we can, so if you would like to talk more about this please either contact our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

Hello I am 17 years old and I graduate in 2 months but wont turn 18 another 2 months after I graduate and I want to move out. My living situation has no sorts of physical abuse in the but the way my mother speaks to me or about me makes me not want to be here anymore and it's getting to the point where I potentially want to take my own life and I cant live here any more, I don't know how much longer I can wait but I would also be going to my bf house I just dont want anything to happen to his mom or dad especially because my mom can change a story alot to make it seem like ill be in danger or im a danger to others. I just need some solution to be able to get out of here asap.

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did.
Usually runaway reports are filed with local police, so if you come in contact with them and they run your name, they can return you. But the list is only accessible to police, so you can work. Police can go to your place of work if parents/guardians direct them there.
If you have more questions, or want to discuss your plan please chat us through this website, or call the hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS

If There 17 and reported as a run away under social service can they still work at a job or get a job??

[ccsmod3]

Hi there, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are 17, turning 18 in several months and are wondering if you would be forced to go back home if you run away to another family member’s house. Also it sounds like you already have your GED and are attending culinary school, that’s great that you already know what you want to do and are pursuing it. It would be most helpful if you could have your parents permission to go to the family members house. If your parents filed a runaway report, it could vary on how police respond given that you are close to being 18 and considering whatever the circumstances are that are leading you to want to run away. The best way to have a direct answer, is to contact your local police department as they would be the ones responding. It could also help to have the family member have a discussion with your parents if that could make it easier on you. If you would like to discuss this further, please call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

I’m 17 years old and will be turning 18 in 7 months. I have my GED diploma and attend an adult culinary school. Can I still be forced to go back home if I run away to another family members house?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, it takes great courage to reach out and we are so glad that you have reached out to us! We want you to know that you are not alone and we are here for you.

You do not deserve to be abused in any type of way and you do have a right to make a report. One option is you could tell a school counselor or teacher and because they are mandated reporters they would be required to make a report. Another option would be to call Child Help at 1800-422-4453 and they can help with making a report. Lastly, you can always call or chat with us online and we can help you with making an abuse report.

We know you mentioned wanting to run away, we are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave because you are a minor it is a possibility that you could be returned home. Safety is the top concern and you can always call us to explore options and we can try and help you look for safe places. If the police were to catch you, you could always let them know about the abuse and they may be able to help and get child protective services involved.

We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are available 24/7 to listen and to provide support.

NRS

Hi, I’ve been trying to get away from my abusive household for years I finally work a full time job at 17 and a half and my home life has gotten so bad to the point where people are noticing but not doing anything so im kind of stuck at the moment. And if I try to get emancipated it’ll take too long bc of the process of it all. If im making enough money to take care of myself at my age and I decide to runaway but to a safe place if the cops show up in case im reported as a runaway will they make me go back home? Or is there a way they could help me since im 17 and a half?

[ccsmod15]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We appreciate you reaching out and sharing what has been going on. It sounds like your daughter is in a very stressful situation. We are here for you 24/7.

We are not legal experts, but you mentioned your daughter is now 18. The age of an adult in most states is 18 years old. Arizona recognizes 18 as the "age of majority," or the age at which state residents are legally considered adults. In most states, you can leave home without your permission. If you want to check a warrant, you can call the non-emergency police station for them to check.

We would recommend calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by Live Chat, we are here 24/7. Please call or chat soon at our website www.1800runaway.org.

National Runaway Safeline

[email protected] (Crisis Email)

1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

Hello my Daughter was adopted by a family member me thinking she would be in good hands and come to find she wasn't.....she had ran away they called me to go get her and I did I was so Happy but when they needed her to watch the kids there house cleaned or the yard we where there so pretty much that's what they used her for .... And the last time we weren't able to make it they had threatened me with the police and they where going to tell the police that I had her and that they didn't know ... I didn't want her to return to them after what I had seen I even had confronted them and they said is my word against there's well my Baby is 18 now she calls me to let me she's ok .... What do I have to do on my part to help her to find out if she has a warrant or what because she did have a probation officer

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thank you for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like things have been hard for you since, with their religious beliefs, they may not accept you and your sexual identity. We are so sorry you are going though this.
It's understandable to feel pressure to come out to them. But coming out is for people who will be physically and emotionally safe when they do. As a minor, you don't have much in the way of rights if they do the things you are afraid of them doing. They can't prevent you from going to college though. Once you are 18, you can leave and determine your own future and dreams and relationships and loves.
You can reach out to www.thetrevorproject.org which has a 24/7 confidential chat to talk over coming out before you are able to determine your own living situation. They are a mental health and support site for LGBTQ youth.
We are also here to talk about this with you. We work best when we can have a conversation with people. You can chat us 24/7 confidentially through this website, or call us at 1-800-786-2929. running away is really hard and potentially dangerous, so we hope we can help you talk this all through.
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS