running away while a ward of the state

[ccsmod15]

Hi, thanks for reaching out to the NRS today. As you say you have a social worker, it sounds like you may be a "ward of the state." If this is correct, it means the state is your legal guardian until you are the age of 18. Therefore, they are probably responsible to determine where you live until then. If you run to a different state, their obligation will be to do whatever they can to be sure you are safe until their responsibility ends at age 18. This means they will almost certainly report you to the police as a runaway and if they find out where you are, they may try to bring you back. Since you are close to the age of 18, the likelihood they would do this is somewhat less, but it's impossible to predict with any certainty what they will do. We're wondering if you've considered talking with your social worker about what you want to do to see if they might give you permission or help you figure out what your alternatives might be. If not, this would be a great option to think about. Otherwise we'd be glad to talk with you confidentially about the details of your situation and help sort out other options. You can call us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

[Guest]

I am just wondering if a minor in fostercare runs away in the state of Minnesota what legal consequences would there be?

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS. We understand you must be going through a difficult time. Our hope is that we might give you tips and resources in order to make the best decision for yourself.
From what we know, though we are not legal experts, since you are a minor and a ward of the state you would be either brought back to your foster parents or back to a children’s home. Whichever you have been at.
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

[Guest]

What would happen if a fostercare minor runs away what would happen to whoever they would end up being?

[ccsmod9]

If you have contacted NRS today through another means (for example, live chat, email or bulletin) for the same issue, it would be helpful to let us know that you have already contacted us. NRS understands it takes courage to reach out for help; therefore, we would like to minimize the need for you to repeat your situation and avoid offering you duplicate services.
Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello I’m 16 and my mother moved out of state and filed a missing person on me and still moved can she get it trouble

[ccsmod0]

Hello, 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. It sounds like you are questioning if your mother is allowed to leave you in another state. We are sorry that she left you in this position but to our knowledge the age of majority is 18 in most states. This means that she is required to provide you with food, clothing, shelter, etc. If she fails to do so then she can face legal consequences. This also means that you cannot live anywhere else without parents’ consent. Additionally, to our knowledge the definition of running away is a youth being anywhere without parental permission.
We hope that this reply gives you some clarity. If you would like to talk further about your situation please feel free to give us a call anytime 1-800-786-2929
Best wishes,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 18 years old and in foster care. My team wants to keep me in care till im 21. Can i legally run away at 18 and not get introuble?

[ccsmod15]

Hi, we’re really glad you reached out to us.
It sounds like you’ve been in foster care and that you have an idea of the near-future that is different from your team’s. Being 18 and finding out they’d like you in care till 21 is probably really hard to hear. The question as to what’s legal for you to do is one that we can’t answer because we can’t know the details and law of every state and agency. We do have the ability to work with you to find an answer to that question and you’re really smart for reaching out to ask important questions.
It’s great that you have a goal of your own for what you’d like to see happen now; maybe you can talk with one of the people on your team about this and communicate your idea. Sometimes a pros/cons of a situation can help us clarify our wants and needs. So if you decide to try talking to a team member, taking into account the possibility of your life without the supports that care can give as well as your idea may give you the ability to decide which course to take.
If you did want to try talking, you are welcome to call our hotline at 1-800-Runaway; we can help you look at your plan and help with resources and/or help you look at the big picture so you can make your decision. We may also be able to find legal resource to help find an answer to your legal question.
Above all, our mission is to help youth to be safe and off the street. You matter to us, and we’re here 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We hope to hear from you.

[Guest]

Hi I have a brother in foster care he's 17 if he runs away to my house will I get into trouble. We are in California. He's ran away plenty of times but I was always afraid to let him stay so after a week or so I'd take him back

[ccsmod2]

: Hi, thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. Unfortunately, it is hard for us to give you a definitive answer without knowing how old you are and what your living situation is.
If you are an adult—generally, age 18 or older—then you may be able to appeal for custody of your brother. In the meantime, though, his foster parents or guardians have legal custody. They are able to file a runaway report if he runs away, as well as file charges against you for harboring a runaway.
That being said, sometimes police stations do not take runaway reports for 17-year-olds. This is a local policy and you would have to call them to find out. If you are not an adult but are staying with your own guardians, then they might have to deal with those same legal consequences.
Please let us know if you have more questions or would like some more specific resources. You can call us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online at www.1800runaway.org. Best of luck with everything.

[Guest]

I have a friend that is a runaway and what would happen if she went to the hospital or clinic

[ccsmod9]

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. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. 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 parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/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. As far as heading to a hospital or clinic they would take them in but they might ask why they are alone and call the authorities or CPS
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]

Help! I'm 18 years old, I ran away from a residential care facility. I'm living with people I can trust but I'm afraid they'll get in trouble for helping me. Will they? Also, by running away, does that mean I violated my probation? If I see my probation officer will he turn me in?

[ccsmod9]

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. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
From what we gather about your situation is that if you have been under probation and are in the facility because of probation then yes you would be in trouble. Again we are not legal experts but from what we do know violating probation can have more serious issues especially if you were under probation for a more serious offense.
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]

Hi. I’m 17 years old and I’m a ward of the state / orphan. My father is dead and my mother gave up her rights. I’ve been in and out of foster care since I was 13 and I’m just tired of all of it. I’ve already graduated high school and I’m in college. I have a car and a license. I also have a crap ton of money saved up from working since I turned 16. I’m 5 months from 18 and I was wondering with my situation, do you think dcs would even look for me at all?

[Guest]

My best friend is a state of ward & is in a group home but they keep moving her around she’s ran twice but she turns 18 in two months. Is she able to leave the group home once she’s 18 or 19. We live in Nebraska

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It’s great that you’re supporting your friend and reaching out for information to help her in her current situation.
We are not legal experts, but in Nebraska, the age of adulthood is 19. This could be good for your friend, if she wants to stay in the facility, but if she wants to leave, there may be other options for her once she turns 18. Because she is a ward of the state, her caseworker or DHS might be able to provide more information about the options that might be available to her in her situation.
We’re really glad that you reached out to us today. It takes a lot to ask for help and it’s great that your friend has someone like you in her life to help her figure out what’s best for her. If you or your friend would like to talk further about her situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re here to listen, here to help. We can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929).

[Guest]

My bestfriend is in Omaha Nebraska in boystown, a group home. She is 17 and turns 18 in two months. If she gets moved to Sioux City, Iowa will she be able to leave that home as soon as she finishes high school and is 18?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: My bestfriend is in Omaha Nebraska


Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. Unfortunately we cannot say what the status of your friend’s custody situation might be. This would be something that she can might consider speaking with her case manager about at Boys Town.

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).

Take care,
NRS


We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

So I’m 17 (and 8 months) and pregnant. (6 months to be exact). My foster care worker mentioned something about keeping me until I was 19. Can they do that or can I fight it? Also what would happen if I ran away and came back when I turn 18? Would I be off the hook? Would they track me to the hospital I give birth in?

[ccsmod9]

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. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on your situation.
From what we understand it might be a good idea to talk about your situation with your foster care worker. There might be more to your case that would require you to stay until 19 but again good to discuss about it with them.
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]

I'm 17 & 1/2 years old and I am in foster care in North Carolina. I ran away and I'm with a 19 year old. Would they actually look for me? And if they did, what would happen?

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thank you for your question. We aren’t legal experts here, but we can give general information. If everything happened “by the book,” then your foster parents would have the right to report you missing and the police are supposed to look for you. That being said, we’ve heard anecdotally that sometimes police choose not to pursue 17-year-olds who leave home. For more information on how your local police might handle your situation, you might consider calling your local non-emergency police line or speaking with a school resource officer if there is one at your school. If the police did decide to look for you and find you, they may return you home.
We hope this was helpful. If you have further questions, need resources, or just need someone to listen we are always here for you at 1-800-786-2929. We wish you the best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 20 Years old with a baby will i get in trouble if i was to runnaway?

[ccsmod11]

Hi, and thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

Since you are 20 you are considered a legal adult which means that you can move out if you want to and you won’t be considered a runaway. As a legal adult, you have a right to make your own decisions about where you live. Moving can be a huge step, and can feel scary and isolating, but you are not alone. We are here to listen and help however we can.

If you'd like to talk in more detail about your situation please do not hesitate to reach out by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chatting with us via www.1800RUNAWAY.org as we can best help by phone or chat (NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance).

Best, NRS