Housing a runaway and getting them registered in a public school

[Guest]

Hello! I am 30 and will be housing a friend of mine who gets beaten by their dad and was threatened to be kicked out. It's important that they're registered in school and get a job to be fully emancipated which is the goal. I'm wondering if I qualify to become a liaison for an unaccompanied minor in order for them to register to go to school, and if they need parental consent in order to get a job. They are 16 and I am unable to do a legal adoption or be a foster parent due to me moving overseas next year. they and another teenager (19) will be taking over the lease as soon as the 16 year old is deemed independent by the state. How does someone register a runaway child for public school?

the legal penalties (if there is any) for housing a runaway minor seem to be minimal at best in this state, so I'm not worried. They will have minimal contact with their mother, just enough for legality sake.

I'm curious if anyone else on this forum has run into a similar issue.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’ve been a really great support system to your friend as they explore the process of emancipation and leaving an abusive situation at home. We are here to help both you and your friend however we can.

First, you mentioned that your friend has been beaten by their dad. This is something that they definitely have the right to report if they feel comfortable doing so. It is never acceptable to hurt a child or youth for any reason.

You can help walk them through that process if they want to pursue it by calling the Child Help hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Their operators will take down answers to a few questions and then get your friend connected to the right local agency to begin an investigation into the situation. If your friend does not wish to go that route, that’s okay too.

You also inquired about helping your friend get enrolled in school. For assistance with that, you can work with your area’s Local Education Liaison, who is responsible for ensuring that unaccompanied youth enroll in and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in school. We are not legal experts here, but we believe that your friend would qualify for these services via the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. You can find more information for your area here: https://nche.ed.gov/states/state_resources.php.

For other questions or to discuss any of the above in more detail, please feel free to call our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us at www.1800runaway.org. Or, your friend is also welcome to reach out directly.

Best of luck,
National Runaway Safeline (NRS)