16 Running away how can i enroll myself in school

Hi I’m 16 and will be 17 in a couple of months. I want to run away because I am emotionally abused and depressed in the household I am in right now with my mom and my step dad. I want to run away to another family members house who will take care of me. Can I still enroll in school by myself. And what will the police do. I’m really scared that the police will take me back to my house. I don’t want my family em ever to be charged with anything either and I know my mom will file a missing persons report.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear about your tough situation and hope to help in the best way we can.

It is hard to feel like you do not belong. We hope that you will be able to find a place and a community in which you do belong. We are always here to help you navigate running away if you feel this decision is best for you. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time at 1-800-RUN-AWAY. There is no right or wrong age to run away: you will have to make the decision that is best for you in this moment. As far as enrolling in school, you might find it useful to reach out to the National Homeless Education Hotline to figure out how you can independently enroll in school. They can be reached at 1-800-308-2145.
We hope you find this information useful, and that you are able to find some peace soon. We are always here if you need us.

Sincerely,
NRS

I'm a fourteen- soon turning fifteen year old teen. I've been wanting to run away for a while now, and I have my situation planned out. I still wish to attend school and I'm not sure how to enroll. My life has been miserable for the past two years and I don't feel like I belong. I try not to think dark thoughts, buts it's kind of hard when the only person who understands you is your ex-enemy. Am I to young to run? I know I am making a rash decision but I have been planning this for the past year or two, and I would really like some advise.
From,
-Hiding in the shadows-

[ccsmod8]

Hello there -

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline on our public forum. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. If you can, please read through these past threads to make sure that someone else hasn't posted something similar that might be able to help.

As far as school goes, we aren’t experts by any means but it is to our understanding that an 18 year olds can enroll themselves into a school of their choosing as long as the school accepts their application. You might want to reach out to the school that you have in mind, as well as your current school to figure out how the process of transferring school documents will work and what you have to do. That is the only way to know for sure if you can or cannot do it alone. Most minors can't enroll in school without a guardian as far as we know.

We hope that helps!

I'm 14 and I think I might want to run away, but the only reason I haven't yet is because I'm not sure what I'll do about my education. Is there any way I can enroll myself into school?

[ccsmod3]

Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step. It sounds like you've been having a tough time lately, and we're sorry to hear about your pop. It makes sense that you're feeling stressed and down a lot with everything that you're going through, though it's definitely important to pay attention to those feelings as well. If you continue to feel that way, it might be a good idea to try and talk with someone you can trust and open up to, like a therapist or social worker. They have the tools and resources to help you work through some of what you're experiencing, and you might find that you start to feel a little better with that support in place.

In terms of switching schools, it's generally not something you can do without permission from your parents. While there are ways to make school accessible for everyone and that sometimes allows minors to enroll themselves, doing so is for minors who are homeless or don't have a stable home. It doesn't sound like this applies to you, so figuring out how to work through your frustrations with your current school or another way to switch schools with parental consent are probably your primary options here. Again, talking to a therapist or social worker might be helpful to you in this situation as well. It's clear that you're feeling unsupported, and talking to a professional is a great way to find that support you're looking for. If you'd like to chat more or for us to try and find a local therapist for you, please feel free to reach out to us by phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chat at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help. You can also reach out to your school social worker or counselor as well.

Take care.

NRS

Hi I am q 16 yr old girl and 17 in December
I realy want to move schools but my parents won't alow me I'm struggling alot at this school and was thinking if I moved I could restart make new friends start of fresh I recently lost my pop and it hits me hard I'm stressed and feel very down alot and unenergetic but i realy wanna go to school the school ive been going to is usless the teachers don't help the students there don't listen and i have no saport i tried explaining it to my parents but it's not working they still want me going there but in my mind why should i go to a school I don't feel comftorble in so what I was wondering is am I aloud to enrol myself into a diffrent high school without parent permission .

[ccsmod3]

Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step. It sounds like you're having a tough time with your current situation, which is causing you to think more about running away. Being happy is definitely important, and so is going to school at your age. We commend you for setting those goals for yourself and doing what you can to ensure you make them happen. Because you're in counseling, it might be a good idea to chat with your counselor about how you're feeling. Generally speaking, mental health professionals have a lot of tools to help their clients work toward their happiness. They can also help advocate for you if you're not currently in school but want to be, which seems important to you.

With a lot of your focus being on getting enrolled in school, it's important for you to know that if you live in the US, there is something called the McKinney-Vento Act, which makes it highly likely for you to be able to re-enroll in a new school without some of the documentation you might be required to have if a legal guardian were enrolling you, or some of the strict timelines required to enroll in school. No matter what, you deserve an education, and that's what McKinney-Vento Act strives to ensure. You can learn more about it here: https://nche.ed.gov/mckinney-vento/

If you'd like to chat over your specific situation in more detail, please feel free to reach out to us by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at 1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS

Hi I am 15 I'll be 16 next month and I want to run away to Kentucky. Living here I take antidepressants and I am in cousling. I need to be happy. I want to go to school. I will have a place to stay my issue is would I enroll myself into school? Or get an adult who is older than me. I want to be happy again. What do I do

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline,
We aprreciate that you chose to ask us for help. From what it sounds like you dont
want to live at home but also know that mom has made a runaway report with the
police. Some things to keep in mind are that because you are 16 you are considered
a minor and so your parents have a right to have you home.However that does not mean
you cant run away. That isnt illegal or anything. YOu can try to speak with your
school about the McKinney Vento Act that allows homesless youth to fininsh high
school. There is no guarantee that they wont call your parent about where youre at
but it would be the best option if you wish to stay away from your parents.

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 email 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

I’m 16 years old , my mom might have put a runaway file on me but I don’t want to live with her no more how do I enroll myself in school with out the police knowing

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It sounds like your boyfriend is in a tough situation and it's so great that you are able to advocate for him. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. It may be a good idea to reach out to a Canadian organization like Kids Help Phone by going to https://kidshelpphone.ca/.

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

Be safe,
NRS

Hi, I'm 17 and going into University this fall. My boyfriend is 15 and turns 16 in November. He grows up in an abusive family that treats him with neglect and forces him to sometime not go to school for a whole week to take car of his 2 year old brother because they don't like getting Nannys. He is trying to move out as soon as he turns 16. His brother couldn't wait until May (when he turns 16) so he ran away and is hiding out in his girlfriend's home until he's at the right age where the authorities can't legally force him to stay with his parents. We are discussing the possibility of my boyfriend moving straight in with me in my apartment at my University in Ottawa instead of going to a group home. He's going to do a 13th year at school so he doesn't have to wait till February, when the semester ends, to still pass his classes. We're wondering though on whether you'd be able to apply to a high school by yourself at 16 in that short of an amount of time or if we'd need a signature of a Parent or Guardian.

[ccsmod10]

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 sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY. As far as school it can be difficult enrolling with out your legal guardians. You can try to contact the school and explain the situation and see what they suggest.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.

If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best

i’m 16 and i left my dads house who lives in oregon, he molested me. he has full custody. i can enroll into school by myself but i’m scared he will find me. he made a runaway report. i’m currently in washington.