What do I do if my child ran away?
First and foremost, if you can’t find your child, your child has run away, or for whatever reason their whereabouts are unknown please contact the police department. Keep in mind younger children have been known to hide in their homes and occasionally fall asleep in the strangest of places such as under beds and in closets.
If your child has actually run away file a report and we will look for them. They also become entered in the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) which is a national database. Should they be contacted anywhere in the nation and their names checked through the system they will be flagged as a missing/runaway/endangered child.
Once the child has returned, either by law enforcement or of their own free will, there are two options:
First Time Runaways: If the juvenile has only run away or been missing once they may qualify for voluntary services for the child and the family under the CHINS (Child in Need of Services) statute (RSA 169D). These services are offered through DHHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) and facilitated by the JPPOs (Juvenile Probation and Parole Officers) Dover office. These services may include: individual and family counseling, the YEES program which provides tracking and mentoring, and services in the community. It is important to note that this service is voluntary and offered prior to court involvement.
Habitual Runaways: If the juvenile has a history of running away and is considered to be a habitual runway petitions may be filed in the court for violating the CHINS statute. This requires appearance before the courts. These juveniles are appointed attorneys and have a right to dispute and fight the charges. Should they plea true or be found true of these offenses they could face the following orders:
- They could be released home or placed in a foster home, group home, crisis home, or shelter care and face up to 2 years of conditional release (probation).
- They could be given a fine and/or restitution, community services, ordered to participate in individual and/or family counseling, and other possible services designed to help the juvenile and family overcome the issues they are facing.