Resources for RUNAWAYS

We have had a few runaway cases over the last week or so and some really good resources have been found to help the parents and the kids. These resources were originally posted by Idaho4Goenes. I am putting them here for easy reference.

Salem

From Idaho's Post:

Or even with any other runaway, parent of a runaway, friend of a runaway, or even if you or someone you know is thinking about running away.

1-800-RUNAWAY / National Runaway Switchboard: http://www.1800runaway.org/ There is a lot of fantastic information on this website. There are tons of resources for both teens and parents. Anyone who calls the number, parents or teens (guaranteed to be anonymous), can get advice, mediation, or just have someone to talk to. Parents and teens can also leave messages for each other, should the other party decide to call. They also have a "Home Free" program where any Greyhound bus will take any runaway home for free. There are a lot of other great things on the site and with the switchboard, too, but I don't want to ramble too much. If anyone has more questions about what they offer, let me know.

Polly Klaas Foundation: www.pollyklaas.org 24/7 help line: 1-800-587-4357 The Polly Klaas Foundation is similar to NCMEC. They also have a "Poster Partner" type of program, where they will email a child's poster to anyone is a specific area. And people that have signed up to receive the posters have also agreed to put them up around town.

They also have tips to "recover" a runaway: http://www.pollyklaas.org/yourchild/...y_runaway.html with a LOT of fantastic tips, ideas, and things to do that you might not have thought of. There is also a link at the bottom of the page to make your own flyers.

Why They Run: America's runaway youth

Why They Run: An in-depth look at America’s runaway youth, presented by the National Runaway Switchboard, sheds new light on the runaway problem in America and begins to fill in the gaps of what is already known and what can be done based on new research.

http://www.1800runaway.org/media/whytheyrun/default.html#


Some key points: (BBM)

• “One in five youth run away before reaching age 18, and half run away two or more times.”
• It is the estimated that between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth experience a runaway/throwaway episode annually
• Family dynamics (divorce, remarriage, problems with siblings), is top reason cited by 29 percent of NRS crisis callers in 2009
• From 2001-2009, there has been an increase of more than 494 percent in NRS crisis calls that cite the economy as a problem.
• Runaway youth are 50 percent male and 50 percent female, though females are more likely to seek help through shelters and hotlines than males
• More than 70 percent of youth interviewed described their leaving home as occurring on the spur of the moment

"Whether via a hotline, in person at a shelter, or dropping in at any health or social service provider, honesty, trust and a sincere desire to help is what youth are seeking. Address the root problems, diffuse the runaway problem"

Fact sheet: http://www.1800runaway.org/learn/research/why_they_run/fact_sheet/