Runaway Laws

Roughly 100,000 young Texans run away from home each year. The State of Texas believes that prevention is the best way to address the problem. The Texas Runaway Hotline provides crisis intervention, telephone counseling, and referrals for callers seeking food, shelter, or transportation. The number to reach this toll-free, 24-hour hotline is 1-888-580-4357.

The State of Texas has a strong interest in reuniting families. In Texas , parents can report a missing teen as a runaway if the teen is 16 or younger. Parents may also report their child as a missing person if the teenager is 17. This gives the police the right to find the minor and return her to her parents. However, a parent first has to make a report that a teen has run away or is missing for the police to get involved. Some parents choose not to report anything to the police when their children leave home without their permission or force their teen daughters to leave home even though the parents are still legally responsible for their children until they turn 18.

If a minor has run away because she lives in an abusive home, she should report the abuse to any person licensed by the state. These people may include local law enforcement officers, teachers, and health care professionals. Child Protective Services may then get involved on behalf of the teen. The minor may also call Child Protective Services directly at 1-800-252-5400 to report the abuse and ask for help.

At any time, a minor may decide to live with another adult relative or friend with the permission of the parent or legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian would still be responsible for providing financial support to the minor. If her parents do not give their permission and she lives in a different household anyway, the adult relative or friend could be charged with kidnapping, interference with child custody, and/or harboring a runaway. Although a grandparent or adult brother or sister may not be prosecuted for taking in a runaway, the police may arrest them first and ask questions later.

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