16 year old refusing to come home

[Guest]

My 16 year old stepson is refusing to come home. He took off to his aunt's house on his mom's side (my husband is a widow, stepsons mother, his first wife passed before he turned 1) he wants to live with his aunt instead. What rights does he have and what rights do we have. Can he just leave home like that? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS we appreciate the fact that you have reached out to us in order to seek help. Our hope is to provide you with resources and tips to make the best of your situation.

Though we are not legal experts but from what we can tell you is that because your stepson is 16 he is a minor and that gives his father the right to call the cops on him and take him back to your home. This being that the father has full guardianship and the child doesn’t mention anything about experiencing abuse. In other words your rights are to have him back home and report a runaway report. He has the right to call the authorities if he feels unsafe.

Again we want to thank you for seeking us out. Our hope is that we have given you enough options to explore in order to best help you in your time of stress and hardship. If you have any questions or concerns that might come up please do not hesitate to call us at (1-800-786-2929) or use our chat option online at (www.1800runaway.org). We hope you can find a solution to the matter at hand.

Best Wishes- NRS