Legality of Leaving a Household in Georgia.

[Guest]

Hello.
15 year old from Georgia, here and wondering about the legal repercussions of leaving a somewhat abusive home. My family and I fight extremely often, and we've both dragged on each other's mental health for the past 6 years. I am not in any sort of life endangerment, but I have been told that I can't stay past age 18. This isn't a problem for me, because I'd rather leave sooner. I don't really mind where I end up, as long as I have a little food and a roof over my head. As far as I'm aware, foster care isn't considered necessary for non life-threatening situations, and I'm fairly sure that running away is considered a status offence. I want to leave as soon as possible, and if push comes to shove I will run away, but I'd rather resolve this legally. Staying is no longer an option.

Thanks all.

[ccsmod2]

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are glad you decided to reach out to us in this difficult time, especially with what is happening between you and your family. It seems like you’ve done a lot of research regarding your options which is good to hear. Please know that the National Runaway Safeline is not a legal resource. However, we do have legal resources that we can refer you too if you do need a legal opinion. You can reach us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or through our website (https://www.1800runaway.org/) and we can help find you resources.
You are correct in knowing that running away is a status offense. It is a noncriminal act that is only against the law because you are not considered an adult. Please know that there are options available to you outside of foster care. These options range widely such as moving and living with a close family or friend that you trust or finding a runaway/youth in crisis shelter that may provide you with transitional living options.
When it comes to it being legal, once again, we would recommend you reaching out to us so that we can refer you to a legal expert who is better suited at answering your question. However, generally speaking, if your family is in an agreement with you living with someone else, they could sign over custody to that person. Another legal option is emancipation. I did a quick google search and found this result which may give you information regarding emancipation (https://legalbeagle.com/8617526-eman...d-georgia.html). Once again, we would recommend you reaching out to legal experts so that they can better answer your questions and inform you about any local rules or laws regarding this information.
We wish you the best of luck in the future. We hope this information has been helpful. Please feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929).