18 year old runaway from foster care

[Guest]

My son's friend has been in foster care her whole life (since she was 10). She turned 18 but was told she has to stay there until she graduates. She left anyway. Will she be in trouble if they find her?

[ccsmod0]

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 with your son's friend. It seems there is a lot that your son's friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they mentioned running away. It’s great that your son's friend has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them. Generally, when a youth turns 18, they have the ability to decide where they live. If the youth is in foster care, those laws may vary. To better understand your son's friend's legal rights, you may be able to get better legal answers from a lawyer or family court, as we are not legal experts.

Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. 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).

We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.

Take care,

NRS