Runaway from a group home

[Guest]

Hi I’m 17 I ran away from my group home because they were going to send me to a higher level of care because I didn’t turn in my cell phone and the house manager,clinician and state worker tried to force my father to turn off my service he he denied so I ran away I have no criminal charges can they look for me even though I have no criminal record

[ccsmod15]

Thanks so much for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you've been through a lot and left a situation where you were feeling overwhelmed. We're not legal experts, and without all the details it's hard to say how the police might respond. Generally speaking, people under 18 are considered minors, and if you leave the custody of your legal guardian, you could be considered a runaway. It's not a crime, but it gives police the right to bring you home.

The most important priority is making sure you have a safe place to stay with people you trust. If you want to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 we can look up resources like shelters in your area. Calling 211 can sometimes be a good option as well.

It sounds like you're worried about what could happen next, which is understandable. If you feel comfortable, another idea could be to call a social worker or case worker at the group home that you trust and ask them what the next steps would be, or you could ask your dad to call them for you.

We are here for you any time if you want to chat at 1800runaway.org or talk at 1-800-786-2929.

Stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

I live in a group home and I've lived there nearly 5 months, I cant take waiting and I just want to run away and just not look back, but I have nobody to turn to, and I don't want to get into any trouble with the staff where they need to write an IR (incident report) I'm not like that but I don't want to wait for a foster home because I'm the last child that was from my old foster home to get a placement to open up, I don't know what to do and I'm not even close to 18 yet, I just want to get a placement and not have to see the same faces, eat the same food or wake up and do the same routine for another couple months, I know it sounds crazy, and just selfish, but, I can't seem to take staying in a group home for much longer.. what do I do? Where do I go? Well I get into trouble with authorities? I don't know..

[ccsmod15]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are so sorry to hear that your time in the group home has been challenging.

First and foremost, if there are concerns about safety in your group home, reaching out to the police would be an option. Additionally, you can also reach out to Child Help at www.childhelp.org and they can assist you with finding your local child protective services agency.

Another option could be to talk with your caseworker or their supervisor to help address whatever you are going through at the group home that is making you want to leave the group home.

It sounds like you are interested in leaving the group home. While we are not legal experts, we do know that typically, if you are under the age of 18 you are considered a minor. If you were to leave the group home without consent, whomever is responsible for your care could report you as a runaway with the local police. Running away is not a crime, but it can be considered a status offense in some states. What this also means is that anyone who houses a runaway minor may be charged with harboring a runaway.

If you want to talk more about your situation and what is going on, you can reach out to us on our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us on our website https://www.1800runaway.org/ .

Stay Safe!

NRS

[Guest]

i live in a group home and the staff treat us like were animlas and im going to run away well actually tonight but the staff here are so unfair and they ugly asf no kizzy cap they physical attack and one staff staff chased me wih a frying pan around in circle

[ccsmod15]

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. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, 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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I'm 16 and I'm planning on running away from my group home because of the staff they don't know how to control the kids in there there is a lot of arguing and low on staff we don't have doors or phones allowed in that place I want to be with my family member but if I running away will they get in trouble.they are 27h away with out stoping probably 2,3 days from me they are in a different state I'm planning on leaving on April 26 I don't know what to do but I really want to run away from that group home.

[ccsmod15]

Hi, we are glad you reached out to us for help. Your situation sounds very stressful and unmanageable. It makes sense that you are thinking of running away. Group homes can be very difficult places and it sounds like yours is overwhelming.

Running away is certainly an option and there are some things to consider. Are you really sure your family member can accommodate you until you are 18? Do you have money and resources to arrange safe travel over such a long distance? Can you safely execute your plan?

While running away is not a crime and you can’t get into legal trouble for running away, the authorities could investigate your family member to determine if they encouraged you or facilitated your running away. If you are caught, you can face disciplinary action when you are returned to Child Protective Services.

We would like to talk with you in more detail about your situation to see if running away is really your best option or if some other ideas might help you get into a better situation than your current group home. If running away is your best option, we can help you think through how to do that in the safest way possible.

It is not possible to say how long Child Protective Services will look for you BUT any contact you have with the police will result in them seeing you have run away from a State’s custody and they will have to return you to that State. At that point the State will decide what outcome is in your best interest.

Please reach out to us through a chat on our website or you can call our crisis hotline at (800) RUNAWAY. Both are available 24/7 and both are completely confidential.

We hope to hear from you soon. Good luck.

NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16 and I'm planning on running away from my group home because of the kids and the staff they took down the doors and they have a no phone policy the manger of the group home she looks in or stuff we we are gone and she cussing at the kids she can't control me because I don't let her that way she gets mad at me it toxic in there they are low on staff but I want to run away from there I'm been there for 10 month and I'm losing my mind being in there on April 27 I'm thinking of leaving with family member but I don't know if I'm going to get them in trouble because I live in AZ and I will be needed to leave the state to IL and how long will DCS stop look for me. My case manager she picks on what I'm going to do she changed my plan to adopting and she know that I don't want that I want to go back with my family so on my court day on the 26 if they say no that I can go with the person that I told them that I want to be with im leaving

[ccsmod15]

Hi, we are glad you reached out to us for help. Your situation sounds very stressful and unmanageable. It makes sense that you are thinking of running away. Group homes can be very difficult places and it sounds like yours is overwhelming.

Running away is certainly an option and there are some things to consider. Are you really sure your family member can accommodate you until you are 18? Do you have money and resources to arrange safe travel over such a long distance? Can you safely execute your plan?

While running away is not a crime and you can’t get into legal trouble for running away, the authorities could investigate your family member to determine if they encouraged you or facilitated your running away. If you are caught, you can face disciplinary action when you are returned to Child Protective Services.

We would like to talk with you in more detail about your situation to see if running away is really your best option or if some other ideas might help you get into a better situation than your current group home. If running away is your best option, we can help you think through how to do that in the safest way possible.

It is not possible to say how long Child Protective Services will look for you BUT any contact you have with the police will result in them seeing you have run away from a State’s custody and they will have to return you to that State. At that point the State will decide what outcome is in your best interest.

Please reach out to us through a chat on our website or you can call our crisis hotline at (800) RUNAWAY. Both are available 24/7 and both are completely confidential.

We hope to hear from you soon. Good luck.

NRS

[Guest]

Hi im 17 years old and im turning 18 in septemeber. i want to run away from my group home, im in a level 3 and we arent allowed to share or borrow and the owner here is really strict i share alot and this time me they are going to strip my room and take everything. the whole house is mad at me one girl wants to fight me she keeps doing petty stuff and blaming everything on me saying that im doing it being mean to her when shes bothering me and keeps messing with me so i would say something so she can fight me. i dont want to get locked up for doing that but the staff and my social worker want to put me in a prtf and im scared because some people say its good and some people say its locked down my social worker said she wants to lock me down and level me up. im a good kid but everyone takes that girls side and im tired of it. everyone is agaisnt me i feel alone. and sad. i want runaway. i want to know if i have any rights being in that group home they shouldnt be able to just take my stuff because i broke the no shareing rule. please help me.

[ccsmod6]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. I’m awfully sorry to hear that things are not going well for you in your group home! The fortunate thing is that you are safe and off the streets currently, but the situation you are living in really doesn’t seem to be working for you right now.

As you have not indicated what state your group home is in, it’s hard for NRS to really make any determination on legal rights you may or may not have. Since it appears to be a private group home, the rules are probably determined by the owner and the state which makes it even harder for us to recommend things. Since you do have a Social Worker, you may want to set up a meeting with them and explain exactly what’s going on in the group home. Feeling sad and alone probably makes things worse for you, especially if you’re thinking about running away. We would encourage you to be really honest with your Social Worker and see what their recommendation might be. Hopefully the two of you can find a way to make things work so you can remain stay there until you are 18.

If you find that you are not able to get yourself in to a better living situation, NRS has a database of resources we might be able to look into including shelters or Transitional Living Programs. If you can reach out to us either via chat (www.1800runaway.org) or via phone (1-800-786-2929) it would be great. It would allow us to get more information from you regarding your situation and see what we may be able to pinpoint in our resources that may be of assistance to you.

Thank you again for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

National Runaway Safeline

[Guest]

hi im the one who wanted to run away im 17 and i turn 18 in september. the one in the level three group home. thank u for replying. i wanted to ask what would happen if i did run away. and what would happen when i got back. or if they found me. and how are they able to find me. through social media? camreas? phones? i wanted to know. and also are they gonna continue looking for me even after i turn 18 and im still on the run. and what can happen if they do find me. will they place me in an actual prtf? or anything. i want to run to my friends houes. they dont know her. but still.

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult time and we want you to know that you are not alone.
Unfortuantly we cannot be certain on what would or would not happen if you did runaway, we are not legal experts but do have some information. Because you are a minor if you were to runaway a report can be filed and if you were found it is possible that you would be brought back home. Once you turn 18, in most states you would be considered an adult so the runaway report goes away. Sometimes police can track social media or phone records in an effort to locate a missing youth.

We can help you explore your situation further and see what options are available to you. We are available 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck!

NRS

[Guest]

I ran away from my group home at 17, I turn 18 in less than 2 months and I’ve been on the run since January. I want to “turn myself in” on my 18th birthday so I can live my life but I’m scared of what will happen because since I’ve been on the run I’ve missed court at least once. I am safe and providing for myself and I genuinely just want the system off my back. I’m not sure what to do.

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at National Runaway Safeline. We are very sorry that you are struggling with this. It sounds like you are experiencing some stress about what might happen regarding the law since you ran away from your group home. We are not legal experts, but we want to ensure that you receive support and answers to your questions.

If you want to talk more specifically about legal resources that may be in your area, you can always reach out to us 24/7 on www.1800runaway.org or at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). It takes a lot of courage to reach out and we are really glad you did. Wishing you the best!

Warmly,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 16 years old, turning 17 in december.
I currently reside in a boys group home in Va, on account that I have zero family to take me in.
I ran away from the home before and got caught and let off with a warning. However, i am planning to leave again soon. my question is, do the police search for me actively and if so, how long will they search for before giving up? i know where i’m going to go and i have a friend to help me with the plan. the police is my biggest concern.

[ccsmod15]

Hi, we are glad you reached out to us. First, it is not illegal or a crime to runaway. However, you mentioned you are currently in a state’s custody, so you may face administrative actions or court order directives if you are returned to Virginia child protective services. It is always hard to predict what the state will do.

If you runaway, the group home will file a runaway report. If the police determine you are in danger or at risk they will actively look for you. If the group home has an idea of where you are going the police will likely also check on that. If the police have any contact with you they will check your record and see the run away report. Since you are in the state’s care they will return you to the VA CPS. It is our understanding that the runaway report on you will remain active until you are 18.

In VA the age of majority (when you are considered an adult) is 18 years old. There may be options for you to petition the state to have an earlier transition out of their custody. To get those details you will need to talk with your case worker/social services representative. There also may be programs available to you that the state will pay for college, job training, transitional living and financial support from the state if you go through the process until you age out.

We would like to talk with you about all your options and make sure we have all the details on your specific situation. We can help you with your plan to leave to be as safe as possible or figure out if it might be better to stay and ways to make that better for you. You can reach out to us for a chat through our website at www.1800RUNAWAY.org or you can call our crisis hotline number at 1 (800) RUNAWAY. Both are available 24/7 and both are completely confidential. We are a non-directive agency, so we won’t tell you what do-just help you figure out what is best for you and what resources might be able to best help you.

Good luck and we hope to hear from you soon.

NRS

[Guest]

im 17 and in a group home and all the girls in my group home hate me and try to fight me every single day and the make up lies about me and i told staff and they did nothing about it but back the other girls up and im thinking about running away today i will be with one of my friends and ill be safe and i turn 18 in 6 months you think that the cops will take me back to that group home or will they level me up to a higher care or will they look and give up looking. I tried to ask my social worker to be emancipated but she says that I cant do it but she wouldn't tell me why i couldn't. what do i do?

[ccsmod10]

Hi, it sounds like you've been in a really frustrating situation for a long time. It's good that you're looking out for yourself and for a way to make a change.

The way that law enforcement handles runaways can vary from state to state and even county to county, so it's hard for us to give a definite answer. Technically, your case worker could file a runaway report with them and they would be entitled to search wherever they thought you were (though typically it stops at them knocking at the door of whomever they suspect is housing you). Rarely will they force you to return home if you insist you won't, or that it isn't safe there. They do technically have the right to, however.

As far as emancipation goes, you typically have to already be earning enough money to prove that you could financially support yourself. In some states it's even required that you already be living on your own. It's a difficult process, for sure.

We're here to help as best we can if you want to talk things through further. Our live chat is always open at 1800runaway.org or you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

[Guest]

Hi I’m 16 years old and I ran away from CPS like 5 month’s ago,and I’m planning on returning but all I wanna know is what would be the Consequences when I return?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without guardian's permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
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

[Guest]

Can I leave the group home I’m 30 and my own legal guardian but my mom is wanting me to stay and I’m wanting to go back to work

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have some questions and we hope to help answer them to the best of our ability. We are not legal experts, but from our understanding, if you are your own legal guardian, you are able to choose whether you leave or stay at the group home. Again, we don’t know your exact circumstances and this answer could vary depending on what group home you are in and the reasons you are there; however, if you would like to talk more in detail about your specific situation, we are always available to support 24/7 either from our hotline (1800RUNAWAY (786-2929)) or our live chat option (1800runaway.org). We hope to hear from you soon.

Stay safe,

NRS

[Guest]

hi I'm 20 I want to runaway.

[ccsmod15]

Hi, thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline and sharing how you feel. You are brave for sharing. If you feel that the group home isn't a safe place to be, you leaving will not be consider as running away because you are over the age of 18. If there is any legal reason why you should still be living at the group home for example if you are not able to look after yourself because of mental issues or you are the subject of a court order then police or other officials may come to take you back to the group home. NRS hope that this information was useful to you.

[Guest]

If kids run away from a group home due to not being treated good, can a person trying to help take them to another group home in a different county as requested by the runaways? And can the person helping get in trouble?

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are wanting to run away from your group home and wondering how to get into a different one. Likely, it would need to be a case worker or whoever has guardianship over you who can place you into a different one. An option would be to discuss this with staff at the group home or your case worker to figure out how to best help you. If you would like to talk more about this, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 31 years old w/ autism (I’ve been in a group home since 2019) I’ve been beginning to get myself together since I’m no longer in a guardianship & the staff/clients treat me like horse******** & the supervisors/caseworkers won’t even listen to me at all

im thinking about running away from the group home but im afraid of people trying to look for me

i hate life atm and I just want ******** to end

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. That sounds like a frustrating situation that the people who are supposed to be caring for you have not been treating you properly. You deserve to be treated better and with respect. From what you have said, it seems like you are now longer under guardianship of anyone, which means you should be able to leave on your own free will. Though we are not legal experts, it could be helpful to talk with someone at this group home who you feel comfortable with and come up with a plan moving forward. It sounds like you have been feeling overwhelmed and hating the way in which you are living which is understandable with how you are being treated. We want to help as best as we can, so if you would like to talk more about this, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS