minor leaving household

california/new york/delaware

I was searching online extensively and could not find sufficient information on a 17 year old female leaving her home and moving out on her own. I would like to know if she would be legally allowed to leave and move to new york or delaware, without her parents being able to keep her in CA. If you have any official sites with this information please list them. Thank you.

If the child is a minor (under age of 18) he/she cannot leave the household without parental consent.

In CA we would call her a "runaway" and she could be returned to her family or placed into a group home. And anyone who keeps her from her parents' control (in other words, aids her ability to remain a runaway) could find themselves in jail.

Carl

Well, I have a question I need answered. If there's a major set of problems in my life with my parents at the moment, such as them being alcoholics, telling me I'm constantly a worthless piece of ****, and a variety of other things, including verbally threatening me, is there some way I can legally go live with a couple of friends of mine? I don't have a job, simply because I can't get one with how they are, and we don't have the money for me to get my own car, let alone pay for insurance. I'm stuck, and I'm sick of the yelling, the fighting, the squandering for money, and I'm sick of getting treated like the lowest lifeform in existance. Please reply to this as quickly as possible...

No, you cannot leave home because you feel like it. And because you did not mention your state, it is impossible for anyone to look up the emancipation laws that might apply.

Without a job, and without parental approval, the chances are slim in any case.

- Carl

What if I'm afraid for my life? Anything to be done then?

*Adds something else.* And I live in AZ... And for that matter, what if said people I need, not want or would like, but need to move in with, because this is greatly affecting my mental stability, would get a lawyer or something? I'm seriously getting threatened... I'm so desperate... I don't know what to do...

You're statement about being afraid for your life really concerns me a lot

Have you talked to Child Protective Services in your area? Since you are living with parents that have substance abuse problem, not to mention verbally abusing you, they may be able to help.

Have you talked to a trusted adult about the problem? Your school counselor might be a good place to start...don't be embarrassed, this is THEIR problem (meaning mom and dad).

Let me know what happens, I'm concerned for your welfare.

Actually, the friends that I wanted to move in with are both 20 and 22.

I'm only afraid for my life because of a couple of things. I don't know what I'm going to do, and if worse comes to worse, then I might run away... and that could mean a lot of bad things, which I'm sure you know. I'm just... really stuck in a spot... and I don't know what to do. I don't want to involve CPS because I don't want to get yelled at anymore, and if CPS couldn't do anything, and started prying, then that's exactly what I would get. I've put up with this since I was 10 and I just don't have any way to release tension, besides my volunteering at a couple of chat sites, because it's gotten to the point that I don't want to leave my room, because I don't want to get in a screaming match.

Like I said, I really am afraid for my mental stability... It's pretty sad, in my opinion, when you have to fill some kind of void in your life with meeting as many people as you possibly can, even if it's on the internet. Heck, since I posted my first message, my mom's told me how horrible I am about 4 times, because she's totally wasted.

My dad's a truck driver, and he comes home once or twice every week, then he pats me on the back, if he's not yelling automatically, says hello, then walks out of the door to go to the bar...

>.> I'm going to shut up now. >.>

Only a court can legally remove you from your parents. This can be as a result of a court order because of abuse or neglect, or, as a result of a successful Emancipation petition with the court.

However, if you are taken from your parents due to abuse or neglect, chances are that you will be in foster care and Emancipation may be long in coming.

It also depends on your age. Unless you are at least 16, demonstrating responsibility in school and life in general, and show you are capable of holding down a job and paying your own way without any help, your petition is not likely to be considered.

----

On further investigation it appears that AZ does not allow Emancipation, but it has been proposed:

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/46leg/2r/summary/s.1266fs-jud.doc.htm&DocType=S

So, your only recourse may be to get the government involved.

However, you really make no mention of anything that leads me to think that any kind of abuse or neglect is going on. There could be any number of reasons why you are being yelled at, and they do not always revolve around a problem witht he parent. Thus, there may be nothing here for even CPS to be involved with.

All because you say that it sucks doesn't mean that it is all that much worse than what most the rest of us went through as kids. Maybe it is, but there's nothing really here to say so. And being a bad parent is not (by itself) grounds for removal of a child from the home.

Have you spoken to school counselors? How about city or county mental health or social service personnel? These resources ought to be available for you.

Oh - and running away would be a problem. You would also put the people you stay with at risk of jail for harboring you if you are a runaway. So that is a consideration as well.

- Carl

Irony

Isn't it ironic that this 17-year-old is stuck, while my 17-year-old in Texas can walk out of an ideal home life without the law doing a SINGLE THING?

This BB is miraculous for getting into cases. Wish state legislators and judges would spend their Sundays reading it (ALL).

Carly