NOT Emancipation

[eileen fortenberry]

Jurisdiction

Missouri

My situation is unique to those I have read about and I need some confirmations. My parents are divorced, I lived in Missouri with my mother for five years, and had to leave earlier this year due to overwhelming stress caused by her. I am turning 17 Nov 29, 2017 and I currently live with my father and go to school in Texas. Texas state law states that at 17 I can legally move out without getting parents permission or getting emancipated, as does Missouri. I want to finish high school and go to college in Missouri, but I cannot live with my mother anymore. One of my closest (female not a boyfriend) friend's mother has offered to have me live with her until I finish high school in Missouri. I do not want any issues legally, as I want to be successful in college. How do I re-enroll at the high school in Missouri without either of my parents? Is there anything I cannot do or should be aware about before I move in with my friend?

 

[cbg]

Actually both Texas and Missouri state law are written in such a way that law enforcement will not always return home a 17 year old who is in a safe place. That is NOT the same thing as it being legal to move out at 17. I assure you, if you move out at 17 without your parents' permission and they want you back badly enough, you WILL be back home. The same law that you think is giving you permission to move out without permission, also means that law enforcement will not interfere if your parents pick you up bodily, place you in the car, and take you home despite your objections.

 

[eileen fortenberry]

Actually both Texas and Missouri state law are written in such a way that law enforcement will not always return home a 17 year old who is in a safe place. That is NOT the same thing as it being legal to move out at 17. I assure you, if you move out at 17 without your parents' permission and they want you back badly enough, you WILL be back home. The same law that you think is giving you permission to move out without permission, also means that law enforcement will not interfere if your parents pick you up bodily, place you in the car, and take you home despite your objections.

My mother abused me as a child and my father does not have an adequate living environment for me. I can assure you it is not safe living environments I am provided with.

 

[adjusterjack]

Nothing unique about your story. We read the same exact thing here every day.

I suggest you call the high school in Missouri and find out the admission and/or transfer requirements are for a 17 year old. If they require your mother's signature, well, that's something you should deal with before making the move.

 

[eileen fortenberry]

Nothing unique about your story. We read the same exact thing here every day.

I suggest you call the high school in Missouri and find out the admission and/or transfer requirements are for a 17 year old. If they require your mother's signature, well, that's something you should deal with before making the move.

thank you!!

 

[shrinkmaster]

Look through all the emancipation threads it will tell you what you need to know

 

[army judge]

thank you!!

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Have you considered pursuing a GED, then enrolling into a community college?


As an adult there are certain utterances one can make, and things just happen.

I refer to these utterances as magic words, or magic phrases.

In most cases a 17 year old will require an adult sponsor to enroll in high school.

If the 17 year old were to say "I'm homeless, mom and dad deserted me.", magic occurs.

The acronym HARP is a magic word, when used properly invokes great magic and gifts or blessings begin to pour down upon the utterer.

I am NOT advising you to do anything.

I am simply reciting to you what has been done.

Residency & Student Enrollment

McKinney-Vento Act


https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/IntroductiontoMcKinney-Vento08-30-11.pdf



Family Services


Service for Homeless Students
A homeless student is one who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes students who are staying in transitional or emergency shelters, campgrounds, motels, sharing housing with other families due to a loss of housing or an inability to afford housing, awaiting foster care, abandoned in a hospital, staying in a substandard housing or living in places not ordinarily used for sleeping and students who have run away or have been thrown out of their homes. A homeless student may stay in the same school all year, if feasible, even is he/she moves, or may enroll in the school serving his/her temporary address.

Homeless students are automatically eligible to participate in the school meals program, instructional services through Title I, and other district services intended to support academic success such as tutoring and transportation to the school if best interest. Please contact the school principal, family school liaison, or Homeless Services office (816) 521-5300 for further information.

Homeless Case Manager: Angie Schnetzer (816) 213-3233 angie_schnetzer@isdschools.org

Program Goals

Identify and meet the needs of students in homeless situations to maximize their success in school and minimized disruption of their education.
Provide support and resources, including transportation, to maintain consistency and continuity in the educational process for students in homeless circumstances.
Provide full access to educational programs and opportunities for homeless students that housed students receive.
Engage parents and other adult caretakers in the supporting the educational success of students in homeless situations.
Coordinate services and supports for homeless students with community agencies and neighboring school districts.
Program Services Include

Services and supports are available to students and their families so that every child achieves to his or her potential!

Immediate enrollment in school and removal of barriers to enrollment and participation – for example, obtaining replacement birth certificates and immunization records.
Transportation to and from school, and for extra-curricular activities when feasible. Transportation is also available for families to attend conferences and school events.
School supplies, backpacks, school clothes and other daily living and enrichment items.
Funds to replace library and text books lost due to homelessness and to purchase books for homeless students to own.
Activity and field trip fees.
Tutoring to help students catch up and stay current.
Limited scholarships for Kids Safari and Early Education programs.
Case management, support services, and on-site mental health counseling.
Who can we help?

Children and youth in temporary housing situations may be eligible for services and have certain legal rights if they are:

living with a friend, relative or someone else because they lost their home or can't afford a home, or are runaways;*

staying in a motel or hotel;*

living in an emergency or transitional shelter or a domestic violence shelter;

staying in substandard housing;*

living in a car, park, public place, abandoned building or bus or train station;

awaiting foster care placement;

living in a campground or an inadequate trailer home;

abandoned in a hospital;

living in a runaway or homeless youth shelter.

Note: * Consideration of each individual case, along with the permanency of the situation, may be needed to determine if students in these circumstances are homeless.

 

[cbg]

And do you think your situation magically makes the law say something different?

 

[zddoodah]

Texas state law states that at 17 I can legally move out without getting parents permission or getting emancipated, as does Missouri.

Is that so? Please cite the specific Texas and Missouri laws that you think say this.

How do I re-enroll at the high school in Missouri without either of my parents?

You likely don't. You likely will need a parent or legal guardian to enroll you. However, you're certainly free to contact the school's office to discuss this.

 

[mightymoose]

My mother abused me as a child and my father does not have an adequate living environment for me. I can assure you it is not safe living environments I am provided with.

What is adequate and what you believe is adequate are certainly very different things. The standard is actually very low.
If something is wrong the appropriate thing to do is contact your school counselors or contact social services directly.

 

[AmberJewell]

Is that so? Please cite the specific Texas and Missouri laws that you think say this.



You likely don't. You likely will need a parent or legal guardian to enroll you. However, you're certainly free to contact the school's office to discuss this.

Eileen is correct. I've been the parent in this situation and when he turned 17, the police department in Missouri told me there was nothing they could do about him moving out.

 

[cbg]

A poorly written law in TX and MO means that some police are unwilling to take any action to force home a 17 year old who is in a safe place. That is not the same thing as it being legal for a 17 year old to move out. Had you gone to where the 17 year old was and brought him home yourself, the police would have taken no action to stop you. And I'm still waiting for the Texas and Missouri statutes that say a 17 year old is able to move out with no repercussions.

 

[zddoodah]

Eileen is correct. I've been the parent in this situation and when he turned 17, the police department in Missouri told me there was nothing they could do about him moving out.

I'll pose to you the same inquiry I posed to the OP: Please cite the specific Texas and Missouri laws that you think say this.

I'll note that, at least the OP purported to know what the actual law said, whereas you're basing your comments on a hypothetical you posed to some podunk police department.

 

[leslie82]

Eileen is correct. I've been the parent in this situation and when he turned 17, the police department in Missouri told me there was nothing they could do about him moving out.

Just because the police said they won't go get him does not mean it was legal for him to move out. YOU still could have gone and made your son come home with you. Legally, a minor cannot live wherever they want to live without parental permission.

You are citing an anecdotal story about a police department that didn't want to waste time on a 17 year old who ran away. Then you just didn't go get him yourself. You could have called the police on whoever he was staying with but you ultimately just gave your permission for him to stay by not making him come home.