17 and ran away to another state

[ccsmod1]

RE: 17 and ran away to another state

Hello,

Thanks for reaching ouyt to us for help. We are very sorry to hear that your father has abused you. Nobody deserves to be abused. We are here to listen and help you in any way that we can. It sounds like you are hoping you will not have to return home. 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. Since you are under 18 and left home without permission, your dad may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, since you are close to turning 18, this may not be the case. If your dad shows up in California and tries to force you to come home before you turn 18, it is difficult to say what could happen. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth. That should give you some idea. If you have any questions or you want to talk, don't hesitate to call or chat. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

My father is abusive. Scared to tell the police, I ignorantly contacted my mother's best friend (godmother) and begged her to buy a plane ticket for me to California from Michigan. After telling her what happened, she agreed. Now that I'm in California, my parents have tried contacting me several times and my godmother; we have both ignored them. I am turning 18 by the end of November, if my father came to California to retrieve me, could he legally take me back? I have no job, I also attend online high school so I can work on my studies wherever there is a computer. Thanks for all your help.