Having the exact same experience now with my 13 year old.  Unless he comes home voluntarily there is nothing we can do. Police, DHS and CPS are no help. The timeframe to get DHS involved is weeks if not months. Unless he is mentally unstable police can't hold him. Unless he willingly gets in our car we can't make him.  He's 13! And getting 'advice' from 15 year olds that have grown up in a system that is designed around them. They know all the right 'buzz' words. They also fill his head with all the things he wants to hear....you don't have to go to school. You don't have to live at home. You don't have to follow the rules....etc...etc.  We are so broken, confused and shattered by a system that's supposed to protect our kids, not give them the tools to leave home at 13.  ... View more

I feel your pain. My 13 year old son recently decided he doesn't want to be at home and left. Police listed as missing person and then once we found him (over a week later) they said we can't make him come home and neither can they. Phone location is off, refuses to answer the phone and responds only to some texts.  Has a group of older friends who don't go to school and get into a lot of trouble. He got caught out at the one house he isn't allowed to go and it all blew up from there.  Now he's no longer missing, but we don't know where he is, he's not going to school and police say all we can do is list him as a missing person again.  Seems like as parents we have no rights. All the kids need to do is say they don't feel safe at home. Yet we're legally (and morally) responsible for him. We're constantly terrified we're going to get a knock on the door by the police telling us the worst.    ... View more