1. Things aren't going well with your family but you can't figure out why.
2. You disagree totally with positions your spouse has taken on issues concerning your teen and the two of you can't find a compromise.
3. You have trouble holding a job.
4. You are abusing drugs or alcohol.
5. You get violent with your teenager and can't control yourself.
6. Your spouse gets violent with you or your child.
   
   What to Do If Your Teen Runs Away.

Most kids who run away return within 48 hours. Those who stay away can find themselves in many dangerous situations. So do everything you can to bring your child home.

• Keep a notebook recording steps you've taken and dates.
• Check in with: neighbors, relatives, and your teen's friends, teachers, employer or co-workers.
• Contact local hangouts and hospitals.
• Call the police. Have an officer come to your house to take a report and pick up recent photos, dental records and fingerprints if available. Get his name; badge number and phone number; the police report number; and the name of the officer who win follow up.
• Make sure the police lists your teen in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to the state clearinghouse on missing children, if there is one in your state.
• Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for help with law enforcement officials - 1-800-843-5678. (This is a free call)
• Call the Covenant House NINELINE for support and to check for messages. Leave a message. 1 -800- 999-9999 (This is a free call) they can help you with people who care and want to help right in your own hometown.
• Also check with any local runaway hotlines.
• A list of Covenant House locations will be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
• Contact runaway shelters locally and in nearby states.
• Make posters with photos of your teen, listing: age, height, weight, hair and eye color, complexion, physical characteristics (such as scars, birthmarks, braces or pierced ears), circumstances of disappearance, your phone number and police contacts. Distribute these to truck stops, youth-oriented businesses, hospitals, law-enforcement agencies.
• Be prepared for the first conversation with your teen. Whether in person or by phone, show concern, not anger. Say, "I love you."
• Prepare to quickly begin resolving the problems which caused your child to leave home. When your child returns home, emotions are likely to run high. Someone outside your family can help you all deal with these emotions. You may find that planned time for your teen in a temporary residence or shelter is necessary while you are resolving problems. So get outside help from a trained counselor.

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Covenant House Locations