running away while in cps custody

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Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to listen and help as best as we can. It sounds like you are going through a really tough time not having your youth home and being unsure of their safety. He is lucky to have someone that cares so much about them.

One of the first options that can be important to explore is contacting your local law enforcement to file a runaway report. We are not legal experts here, but typically it is not illegal to run away or leave home without permission. However, if a runaway report is filed, police that encounter a runaway youth will work to return them home when found. Keep in mind though, that the efforts made to search for runaway youth can vary from state to state or even within districts. Often it is up to the parents to advocate for themselves and keep track of the steps taken to find your youth.
If you have a way to communicate with your son/daughter either email, text, phone, or social media you can inform them that we are offer confidential 24/7 support. We can try to locate some resources that could be of assistance, wherever they are located, to help keep them safe.
During a time like this, it can be important to remember your own self-care. Taking care of yourself and feeling heard can make an overwhelming situation more manageable. You can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY to talk or find additional resources.

To contact NRS call or chat at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runaway.org

Take care,
NRS

My son is 16 ran away they put him with his 18 year old sister and bf she has went to jail and him to they said ok he could stay with her but it wasn’t gonna be like they placed him but he was doing good till the end they ask my daughter to drug test they failed now she came in took the baby and told my son he was leaving .my question is will they give him back to here when she gets baby back and if they wanna be like no cuz she failed and now they wanna go by book ..Y now go by the book they haven't already been ..mf now my son run away and says he's not going back unless he goes back with his sister. What do y'all think?

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Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out.

18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent/legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave your group home without permission, the staff at the group home may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city, so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned to the group home. In that case there may be services (counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.

We’re here to listen, and we’re here to help in any way we can. You know your situation best, so whatever you decide, we will do our best to support you and keep you safe.

We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you’d like to talk about your situation in more detail, please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us on our website, www.1800runaway.org.

Good luck & be safe,
NRS

What if someone ran away from a group home & just waited to turn 18 ?

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Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are sorry you are going through that situation, and we want you to know that you are not alone.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave home without permission your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. If you need somewhere safe to stay you can call us and we can help explore your options.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

I'm currently in a cps case and both of my parents dont want me but they want my brothers . I'm thinking about running away before the case worker comes .. idk when they'll come but I want to leave before they do . I'm 15 . What could happen to me and the case for my brothers if I leave ???

[ccsmod2]

Hey There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a rough time and we want you to know you are not alone. Running away is a big decision, and because you know your situation the best only you can make that decision.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave home without permission CPS could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. One option to consider would be to contact your case manager and talk to them about how you are feeling and what has been going on. They may be able to provide you with resources or other options.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[ccsmod2]

Hey There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a rough time and we want you to know you are not alone. Running away is a big decision, and because you know your situation the best only you can make that decision.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave home without permission CPS could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. One option to consider would be to contact your case manager and talk to them about how you are feeling and what has been going on. They may be able to provide you with resources or other options.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[ccsmod2]

Hey There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a rough time and we want you to know you are not alone. Running away is a big decision, and because you know your situation the best only you can make that decision.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave home without permission CPS could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. One option to consider would be to contact your case manager and talk to them about how you are feeling and what has been going on. They may be able to provide you with resources or other options.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

Im in cps and I want to runaway what should i do I hate cps

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Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We’re sorry to hear that CPS has made getting access to your belongings and residence so difficult. We would be happy to help in whatever way that we can.

While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is not illegal to run away. Your guardian could file a runaway report on you but this would NOT mean that you would get arrested or charged with anything. It typically does mean that the police could return you home if they encountered you and that would be that. Some police can be more understanding about what is going on at your home. In our experience, police will oftentimes return the youth back to their guardian almost no matter what. Police typically do not actively search for a runaway youth. However, they will go where the guardian directs them if they know where you are staying. If your guardian does not know where you’ve gone, it would be much more difficult for the police to locate and return you. Additionally, police can sometimes be more lenient about runaway situations the closer you are to 18. You can attempt to calmly, respectfully, and persistently deny them consent to touch you or take you anywhere, and they may give up on trying to return you home.

It may be easier for us to provide more helpful information if you were interested in sharing a little bit more about your situation. If you want to talk more about what is going on and what options you have, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

I am 17 I turn 18 in 7 months I am in the process of emancipation. I am currently under cps care and they have placed me under foster services. Before they placed me into foster care I have a room and a car I pay rent for that room and I pay for my car insurance,food etc. CpS has moved me and I’ve been here for 4 months now and still paying rent for my room even though I’m stuck here and not living in the room that I am renting cps has the adress of that room and I am thinking of taking my things and going back because I have 2 jobs and my belongings are over at where I used to reside at. If I do run away from the foster home would the police come to my front door to look for me and to take me back ?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen.
Because we are not legal experts we cannot give you a for sure answer, but we do have some information that may be helpful. One you do turn 18 a runaway report typically does get removed. So the police would not be able to bring you back home. To find out the best answer you may want to reach out to your local police department and ask what would happen because the laws are different in each state.
We hope that this helped with your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck in your situation!
NRS

I ran away about 5-6 months ago from CPS can they do anything to me after I turn eighteen in 6 days although the case was corrupted by CPS

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Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out and sharing a bit about your situation. From what you shared, you have been so resourceful and smart already while coping with the stress of an abusive home. Being taken into CPS custody and not knowing what your living situation might be like can certainly be scary. We cannot say for sure exactly where you will be place, but it will likely be in a group home or with a foster family. The goal of CPS is to keep you safe and to intervene in abusive situations. If you runaway from a CPS placement, they can report you as a runaway to police. If police know where you are or you come into contact with law enforcement, they will return you to CPS custody.

You do not have to make this transition alone. There is an organization called Child Help that advocates for young people and can help you navigate your future living situation. You can contact them at 1-800-422-4453 or go to childhelphotline.org. You will likely be assigned a caseworker who can also be an advocate and support for you while in custody of the state. Transitional Living Programs are long-term living programs for young people that can sometimes be an option for people in your situation. These programs provide supportive services while you work toward living independently. After getting settled into your new living situation and speaking with your caseworker about your long-term plan, you can ask if a transitional living program is a viable option for you.

We truly want to be a support a support for you while you navigate this difficult situation. You can call or chat with us anytime (1-800-786-2929; www.1800runaway.org) if you would like to talk more in depth about your situation. We are here 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible.

We wish you the best,
NRS