running away while in cps custody

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

 

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We really appreciate you reaching out for help. 

 

In Alabama, the age of majority is 19, so she is of age so can make legal choices for herself. That being said, since it is court ordered, there could be consequences for breaking a court order. Given that we are not legal experts, one course of action could include reaching out to your daughter’s probation officer or whoever is in charge of the group home. 

 

We are here to support you 24/7. If you would like to talk in more detail, please contact NRS either by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chatting online through 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.

 

Be safe,

NRS

My 19 year old daughter Is it a group home in Alabama that is court ordered, and she keeps threatening to run away. If she does is there gonna be any consequences?

[ccsmod3]

Hi, thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you both have been having issues with the aunt that cps told you to stay with after having some issues previously with your parents. It seems like cps got involved when you weren’t expecting that and it seems like they should be following up since they had told you both to stay there. You both deserve to be in school if that is what you are wanting as it is also considered neglect if you are not enrolled in school. It seems it might be more complicated with being in a remote area with no service, but we can help find shelters in your area to go to or even get in contact with cps so that they can follow up and help you both. To do this, we would need to have more of a conversation so if it is possible for you to chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We do also have a hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) but recognize that would be harder without having cell service. We want to help as best as we can as you both deserve to be in a place that is safe for you and where you can finish school. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

I am 17 and I am with my twin sister and we both turn 18 in 1 month, my dad has been abusive and the most recent time he hit my sister we were upset and decided to take action, we called our aunt and she agreed to pick us up. She then later contacted my other aunt and without our permission they got cps involved, cps met with us and told us to stay here with our aunts, only problem is that they will not let us contact either of our parents, there is also no service because they live In a remote area with no cell service, so we also have no contact with anyone outside of the house, and when we do talk to our parents they threatened to take our phones. All we want to do is go back home and finish school and we have told them that. So we are planning to runaway and stay somwhere where neither our parents or aunts know where we are. What do we do?

[ccsmod15]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing your story. We know that takes a lot of bravery.

You are incredibly strong. We are not legal experts, but you and the father may have custody rights. If you are able to keep your baby it can be important to consider how you are going to care for them if you haven’t already, like making sure you have access to everything the baby needs or finding someone to care for them during weekdays if you are in school. If you are willing and able you can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us at our website, and we could help you find some legal aid and discuss planning for caring for your baby.

Thank you again for reaching out to NRS. Feel free to contact us again anytime as we are available 24/7 and are completely confidential. Best of luck!

I ran away from foster care got pregnant just had a baby yesterday but cps found me and now want to take the baby away from me and the father can they take it from both of us I am 17 and he is 21

[ccsmod6]

Thanks for reaching out to us at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It takes a lot of courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. There’s a lot that you are dealing with right now and you feel running away would be an option. While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave without permission. Since you are under 18 and already in CPS custody there may be greater consequences if you run away. Generally, your guardian may file you as a runaway and you will be returned to your guardians custody. 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. If you would like to discuss this more in detail, we are available via chat or phone 24/7. 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.

Talk to you soon and be safe!

Hi I am 16 years old me and my brothers were taken when the cops took my dad to jail they had told us we had to go with them because there isn't an adult to take care of us it has been 3 days and they told us we would go back home as soon as our dad got out and he is now out they are now saying that we have to wait until Monday and they are going to see what they have to do with us even tho my dad is out and he is our guardian

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are sorry to hear about the circumstances and that you do not wish to return to foster care. It sounds like school is valuable to you and we are glad to hear that you would like to go back. First and foremost, we hope that where you are is safe. Please know that we are not law experts, but we unfortunately do not know how it would be possible to enroll in school and remain incognito. We could certainly talk further with you about this and we welcome you to reach out directly through our online chat portal, found on our website at www.1800runaway.org or by giving us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We could talk more in-depth about the situation and utilize our resources to provide you viable support.

Wishing you health, safety, and peace.

Sincerely,
NRS

I'm a runaway juvenile but I wanna go back to school. I'm on the run from foster care and I don't wanna go back. I'll be 18 in 6 months and I wanna try to go back to school in August. But if I do it'll flag and I don't have any of my records or anything. So what do I do? Do I wait until I'm 18 or is there something I can do that'll keep me uncover and still in school?

[ccsmod10]

It can depend on the state you live in. In most, yes, you can.

You can google search " 'your state' age of majority" to learn the age of majority in your state (the age at which you can legally live on your own). If it is 18, there shouldn't be any negative consequences to contacting your caseworker. If it is 19 or higher, they might try to arrange a way to get you back into transitional-age foster care, but they also might not.

You can call us at 1800RUNAWAY or live chat us at 1800runaway.org if you'd like to discuss things more.

Hi I’m 18 already and I was in a case in cps & I was a runaway at 16 years old, & never returned back can I contact my case worker so I can get my personal Information such as birth certificate & I.D without having to worry about legal actions

[ccsmod1]

Hello,

We appreciate you reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). Please know that we recognize the strength and courage it takes to reach out in situations like these. It sounds like you are faced with the option of either returning home or being placed somewhere else. We would be delighted to have the opportunity to talk one on one with you about this and gather further information so that we may help you explore some potential options. Please feel welcome to reach out to us through our online chat portal, found on our website at www.1800runaway.org or you may give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We look forward to the opportunity to talk more with you about this.

Wishing you health, peace, and safety,

Warmly,
NRS

Hi , I ran away from home a week before my 17th birthday , I’m now 17 and found that a day ago I’m in cps custody, cps has reached out to me an said “ that if I don’t return home they will put me in a different place “, but I’m still considered a run away

i don’t know what to do for one and for 2 what can’t I do

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like your daughter ran away from her legal guardian and went to your grandma's house. This is a tough situation, for all of the reasons you stated.
One thing you can do is have your daughter reach out to us, she can chat us through this website, www.1800runaway.org and we will help her decide what she can/wants to do.
Unfortunately, CPS doesn't often respond to verbal abuse cases, and they are the only ones who can legally placer her with you or another relative, but you can discuss this with her caseworker to see if there is another accomodation that can be made.
If you can afford an attorney, they may be able to assist in some way, as they would know the laws of your state. We do truly hope to hear from your daughter soon. You are also welcome to chat us or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Sincerely,
NRS