17 year old finding a place to live

[Guest]

I am 17 and my parents got divorced a few years ago. My mom has custody, but she can't afford to take care of all four of us. I have a job that pays $12.50/hour and I work about 20 hours a week, but that isn't enough to move out. My dad can't take me in because my mom needs the child support to support my siblings and live. The lease on our house only lasts until the very beginning of August, and my mom doesn't qualify to rent much of anything because of all of her student debt and her bad credit score. Is there any way I could find somewhere to go, or maybe get emancipated, without my siblings being taken from my mom? I can't be the reason my whole family ends up on the streets.

[ccsmod15]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear that your family is experiencing financial difficulties: that truly is stressful and difficult and we hope things improve. It sounds like you are making some money, and while that's great, it's probably not enough to live on unassisted. You do have options, however.

You mention emancipation. This may be something to look into, though it does require going through the court system and may involve some legal fees. If you tell us your state we can give you some numbers to call to get more information about emancipation.

Another idea would be to look into transitional living programs. Often these are connected to a shelter agency but are a bit more long-term. Again, if you give us your city and state we may be able to provide some resources to look into. Housing assistance through local or state authorities is also a possibility.

The best way we can discuss your options and provide you with resources would be if you either gave us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via the portal at www.1800runaway.org. We can explore your situation further and may be able to brainstorm even more ideas with you. We might also be able to provide info on resources that can help your mom if that's something you'd like to look into. We are confidential, never judge or tell you what to do, and here 24/7. We hope to hear from you soon!

All the best,
NRS