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[Guest]

I’m 16 and have a 2 month old baby, I’m a single mum and the father of my baby doesn’t want to know. I have no job so I can’t pay for her and living at my mums is not working out, my dad doesn’t talk to me so I have no where to go. As I’m 16 am I eligible for benefits and my own place?

[ccsmod15]

Hello,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It can be really hard to reach out for help and share your story, but you are very brave for taking this step. It sounds like staying with your parents is not an ideal place for you to be, and that you are having issues with taking care of yourself and your child. There are several options that can be explored in this case. One option could be to stay with whomever you feel safest with (mom or dad), and find a job so that you can save up money to become an emancipated minor and prove that you can support yourself and your baby on your own. Another option to consider would be to look at a youth homeless shelter, particularly one that helps with youth mothers. In order to find a shelter that best fits your needs, you can always call us at 1(800)RUNAWAY and we can find a youth shelter in your area. We also offer to make conference calls between the shelter, ourselves, and you, so if you feel uneasy about making the call, we can walk you through the process.

If you were looking into exploring more options, or simply talking about how you have been handling the situation with your parents as well as becoming a new mother, you can always give us a call at 1(800)RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are a 24/7 hotline, so there will always be someone who can talk to you about what you have been going through and help you come up with what to do next. Take care.