Colorado runaway laws

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are considering running away and wondering what the consequences would be. So running away is a status offense meaning it is only illegal because you are under 18. What generally happens, is that your parents can file a runaway report with the police and if police find you, they can bring you back home. If you would like to talk more about what’s making you want to run away, 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

What consequences come with being a runaway at 15 years old in the state of Colorado ?

[ccsmod2]

Hi there,



Thank you for reaching out to NRS today. We are glad you reached out. It sounds like you are going through a very difficult time right now. Running away and staying with someone else is a big life change and we are here to support you through this process.



Although we are not legal experts here at NRS, we can try to help offer some guidance about emancipation. Many states vary legally, so depending upon your age and what state you live in, we cannot answer this directly. If you are 16 years or older, you may be able to begin the process. One thing to keep in mind is, to achieve emancipation, you will need to prove that you can financially support yourself, have arrangements for housing and demonstrate overall independence. One helpful resource may be this where you can get a general sense of what emancipation entails: https://www.findlaw.com/family/emanc...tion-laws.html . Also, perhaps look in your local area for Family Law Attorneys who might we able to give you advice free to answer some questions as it relates to emancipation laws in your specific state of residence.



You mentioned that you did run away recently, and it sounds like you are staying with someone you trust. We are glad you are safe with someone. We do want to share that if you ran away and stayed with someone else without parental permission, there is the possibility that your parent(s) may file a runaway report to local law enforcement where they will collect your name and basic identifiers which goes into a national database that may help local law enforcement find you. Also, your parent(s) may charge the person that is housing you with something called “harboring a runaway” which is a fancy legal term for kidnapping. Again, this all depends upon your age and how your parents may react to your running away. This is a lot to consider and we realize you are doing the best you can--we just want to make sure you’re equipped with as much information as possible.



If you ever feel unsafe and need a safe place to go to, we recommend you text the word “safe” and your current location (address, city, state) to 4HELP (44357) and Within seconds, you will receive a message with the closest Safe Place site and phone number for the local youth agency.



Please remain safe and do not hesitate to reach back out to us through the forum, online chat at https://www.1800runaway.org/ or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are available 24/7.


We wish you the very best,

NRS Team

Hi, i have thought about running away i did just run away and i was staying with someone i trust, i was thinking about getting emancipated but i don't know how that all wotks

[ccsmod10]

It sounds like you are contemplating running away and might be uncertain where you will go or what you will do. We are sure you have your reasons for wanting to run away, and are here to help you do whatever you need to do as safely as possible.

Coming up with a plan before running away can be helpful to keep yourself safe and reduce stress. Consider where you will go, how you will get there, how long you'll stay there, how you will provide for yourself and keep yourself safe, and who you will contact in case of emergencies and how.

We are here as a resource to you, and if you'd like to talk with someone about your situation more extensively you can live chat us at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Do I need a plan

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. If the parent is aware that the youth is on a missing person’s list, the parent can call to get them removed.
One option to consider would be to call The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at: 1800-843-5678. They can let you know if the child is still on the database and how to remove them if they are no longer missing.
Also you mentioned that the child is living with a parent but does not share any name association, we are not legal experts but do have some information. If the person that the child is with does not have custody they may get in trouble for harboring a child. If you are worried about the safety of the child, you could always call the local police department. The safety of the child is the most important thing and any safety concerns should be reported to police.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. We are here to listen and provide support 24/7. Please give us a call at 1800-RUNAWAY (1800-786-2929), or you can chat with us online.
Best of Luck,
NRS

My son is friends with a child who is on the missing persons list for Colorado. This child has been considered missing for more than 6 months. They are said to be living with a parent but that person does not share any name association. Should I let anyone know? This child is enrolled in a Colorado public school.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
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

im 16 and my and my little brother ran away from our dads 2 weeks ago and today i just had to come back but my brother ran away again and im having a really hard time being here my situation is hard. but if i run away again tomorrow what can happen?

[ccsmod2]

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting NRS. It sounds like you are dealing with an overwhelming situation at home. It also seems like you’ve reflected on the pros and cons of leaving home, and even considered your siblings.



Reporting abuse can get mixed results. You may be able to try a different avenue to report the abuse, especially if you are concerned for your siblings. Child Help is possibly another resource you could try to report the abuse https://www.childhelp.org/. In terms of mental health resources, you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting 741741, or you can contact the 24-Hour Mental Health Delegate Line at 215-685-6440.



There are a few factors to consider when seeking housing. If you are going to be 18 soon, you may not need to wrroy very long about being reported as a runaway, as you will be considered an adult. Policies tend to differ at different shelters. I see you are in Pennsylvania, and we can chat with you to brainstorm more specific shelter, mental health resources in your state. You can contact us by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our live chat 24 hours by visiting our website at www.1800runaway.org.



Take good care of yourself,

NRS

Hello, I am 17 years old and am living in an abusive/neglectful enviornment. My parents are going through a divorce, they are both verbally and mentally abusive towards me and my siblings and often times will buy us things just so they can use them against us as a punishment. The stress of living here is too much and I'd like to leave as soon as possible, I've tried reporting them to no avail and even went to therapy where they manipulated my therapist into believing their side and took me out of therapy. They refuse me any meds for my depression, anxiety and severe adhd disorders which causes me a lot of mental pain at times. I'd like to know if you HAVE to tell my parents that i'm there once I arrive, and i'd also like to know if i'll have my own room once I recieve housing. My parents also do not believe in vaccines so I am unvaccinated and have a severely immunocompromised system, I have some money to my name but not much. I live in Pennsylvania so I'd like to know if it'd be possible for me to get housing here as a 17 year old, get treated and leave without any legal battles. Thank you.

[ccsmod16]

Hello, thank you for reaching out to us. Sorry to hear that your parents have been saying hurtful things to you, which can understandably be very upsetting.

If you do runaway, your dad does have the option to file a runaway report with the police, and the police could force you to return home. Although running away isn’t a crime, harboring a runaway is a misdemeanor. Something to think about for the person you are staying with. We are not legal experts here, so if you would like to speak to someone about how your local police handle runaway cases, you could call your local police department and ask hypothetically how they would respond.

There’s a lot to think about when leaving home. If you feel like you would benefit from talking to someone about your specific situation, we encourage you to call or chat us through this website so that we can better listen and help. We work best when we can have a conversation with you. We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS

hi so i’ve been getting in a lot of trouble lately and my parents have said some really hurtful things to me and i need a break from my house. i have a place to stay but i don’t want my dad to call the police or anything and i would tell him where i would be going, would the person im staying with face any charges and would this come up in my cps case if my dad called the police? i would return home but i do not want to be here for a few days .

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
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