What to do 17 yr old daughter

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to listen and help as best as we can. It sounds like you are going through a really tough time not having your youth home and being unsure of their safety. They are lucky to have someone that cares so much about them.

We are not legal experts here, but typically it is not illegal to runaway or leave home without permission. However, if a runaway report is filed, police that encounter a runaway youth will work to return them home when found. Keep in mind though, that the efforts made to search for runaway youth can vary from state to state or even within districts. Often it is up to the parents to advocate for themselves and keep track of the steps taken to find their youth.

If you have a way to communicate with your child either email, text, phone, or social media you can inform them that we are offer confidential 24/7 support. We can try to locate some resources that could be of assistance, wherever they are located, to help keep them safe. If you do not have contact with your child, we also offer a message service where parents can call us to leave a message for their child. If the youth calls in, we can deliver this message. We also take messages from youth to their parents that we deliver as well. This can be a great option for you to express yourself in a safe, productive, and non-confrontational way. If you choose to utilize our message service, we encourage you to spread the word to anyone you think may be in contact with your child to increase the chances of your message being retrieved.

During a time like this, it can be important to remember your own self-care. Taking care of yourself and feeling heard can make an overwhelming situation more manageable. You can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY to talk or find additional resources.

Remember to take care of yourself,
NRS

I have a 17 year old daughter who ran away. Thank God she has been found! She is physically safe. She's not in any legal trouble. Unfortunately she's staying with people she deems as being safe but I don't perceive them to be as they let her do whatever she wants to do. And go wherever she wants to go. She is going from one house to another house now. So far she's not in any trouble. I know I have a lot to be grateful for. But before she does get in trouble what avenues to parents have to convey the message to the young person this behavior is not acceptable. The more she is entitled to roam and the more adults around her validate that by their lack of real concern for her life, it instils a value system in her that this is okay. Other teenagers helped her to run away. I'm deeply troubled for our society. And more concerned obviously for my daughter. What's really sickening is this has even creeped into the Church now. My daughter is across the state but in the same state. What do I do? She has already been reported to the ncic system. She won't be 18 for 9 more months. Please advise!

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