I Want to Leave Home - Runaway help

The idea of leaving home, is and has been, for a variety of reasons whether from a good or bad home environment. Sometimes, a teenager just wants to escape and considers leaving home or may just run away. A decision that should be considered with caution, knowledge and a plan. Are you aware of your community services that can help?

The idea of being independent of others, is a great goal as it should be, since we all eventually enter adulthood. We are not kids forever. We may dream of having our own apartment, condominium, house or love shack of some sort and a top paying job. Keep in mind these are lofty dreams and good ones BUT one must come back to Earth and check in with reality.

A home should be one’s safe haven. Teenagers get pressure at home, school and social life which can sometimes compound the need to escape. Home incomes may or may not be able to provide opportunity to leave home for a short period of time which could be enough for a teenager to regain their sense of purpose. This could be a few weeks away on a trip to a friends cottage, vacation home, out-of-town relative or summer and day camp(s).

Options such as voluntarily entering the local Children’s and Family Services may provide a group home or short and long term foster care home. Depending upon their regulations and policies regarding age (16, in Canada,best to ask!), one may not even need to register for care but may still be able to access advisory services to help a youth achieve independence, schooling, financial advice, housing and employment. Just call and ask. There are no dumb questions from voices of our youths.

Setting an appointment at the local employment office with a counselor can lead to employment and training towards a job, Youths self-employment program, or apprenticeships. There are options for a youth to take control of their lives and gain their independence. One just has to know ahead of time before leaving or running away what is available in their community. Open the Yellow Pages and look under Social or Community Services to see what is listed.

A free youth hostel or shelter may be available and do exist in Canada. Usually some are open 24/7 whereas others lock doors at a specific time to ensure safety of the occupants. A hostel or shelter can provide temporary shelter for the night or a few days (some may have limits), meals, showers, and maybe counselors. Again, one must ask.

Communicating what you need with a counselor is important. Plan ahead of what you need help with. Speak clearly and loud enough to be heard and understood. They are there to help and should be able to offer center or crisis services, if they are not, ask for another counselor. Stepping out to gain your independence will require you to speak up for yourself. Nobody else can no longer do that for you unless you let them. Is that truly independence though?

The idea of leaving home can be a emotionally terrifying experience. Ask yourself, is running away the best or only option? I only ask, before acting upon this idea, that you least take a look around and see if the problems can be solved and who can help. Again, check the Yellow Pages if necessary.

Speaking as a parent and former runaway myself - Learn to find the knowledge that will help towards your survival, improve your own knowledge, problem solving skills and stay safe - is my only wish for all our youths. It saddens many of us adults, to hear of our youths that turn to street gangs when one has such great potential to be so much more and so deserving, for a good life. There are options and Hope.

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