Runaway from a group home

[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

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

[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

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?

[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.

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?

[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

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.

[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

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.

[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

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.

[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

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.

[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