15 yr old who wants to move out legally

[Guest]

Hi I am a 15 year old male in Colorado who’s sick and tired of my parents bs. Blatant favoritism towards my older sister as well as well as constant screaming and telling me I’m not good enough.

In my state (Colorado) the legal age for emancipation is 15 however it’s clear that emancipation is targeted more towards kids living in foster care since in order to become emancipated you have to already not be living with parents.

I have thought of running away before but my parents won’t let me get a job so I have no means of survival and I have no one to run to that wouldn’t just immediately call my parents. I also want to finish school so that I can get a degree in software engineering but if I run away I can’t enroll in school unless I become emancipated. What should I do

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. Know that you deserve to feel safe and happy at home. You deserve to be treated with kindness. It sounds like you have done a lot of research into your rights as a minor, and are still focused on your education, which shows a lot of responsibility.

At the National Runaway Safeline, we are not legal experts, but you do have a lot of options regarding finding out your legal rights as a minor in your situation. In most cases, if a minor runs away and their parents file a runaway report, the police will look for the youth and potentially send them back home if found. Because laws vary regionally, one option you have to gauge your rights is to reach out to your local police through a non-emergency line to ask hypothetical and anonymous questions. Another resource you have is the Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Youth Services. Their website is https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dys.

You also mentioned that you would not have anywhere to stay if you were to leave your home. Again, you deserve to live in comfort and safety, and there are many youth shelters that prioritize that. Urban Peak is one organization in Colorado that offers shelter to youth ages 15-20 experiencing homelessness. Their website is https://www.urbanpeak.org/ and they have locations in Denver and Colorado Springs.

Finally, you know yourself and your situation best so we cannot advise you on what you “should” do, however, we are always here to support you. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY and we are toll-free, 24/7, and confidential. We also offer virtual chats through our website. On a call or chat, we can explore more options and resources.
Stay strong, NRS