Q: if you are 17 and pregnant and don't feel safe in your home can you leave?
I have the support from a cop and his wife that i lived with last time my dad was on drugs. i also have audio clips of him hurting my step mom. i just don’t want me or my baby around him
A:
I am so sorry to hear you are in this position.
Minors who are 17 can, if they are able to support themselves financially (and other considerations) petition the court for emancipation. That is a process where the court does what is called “grants rights of majority.” Essentially, the minor would be recognized as an adult and the parents don’t have control and can’t force them to return home any longer.
If a minor leaves without being emancipated, the parents/guardians can force the minor to return home. Anyone harboring the minor could get into trouble.
If a minor goes to a shelter, the shelter is required to call DHS and the parents within a specified period of time. Practically, if a minor is close to 18 and is safely away from the parents, DSH usually doesn’t intervene much.
A big underlying question here is why - is it unsafe, abusive, etc? That impacts things.
I wish you the best. That’s a tough spot.
Pete David Louden agrees with this answer
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