How to Stop Relatives from Helping a Child Run Away from Home

My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Florida.

I have a 14 yr old daughter who constantly skips school. She convinced me into taking her out of private school and told me she wanted to attend her neighborhood highschool for ROTC and basketball. I let her. I have a meeting with the truancy office because she's missed over 34 days of school. She keeps running away. The first time I found her in a Marijuana infested apartment .She told me she's smoking marijuana. Now she's running away to her Auntie and grandmother's home on her father's side. Father has been deceased since she was 3 and never was in her life prior.

She runs away to grandmother/Auntie house and tells them how bad I treat her, play victim, and that I told her not to like them. I tried telling them to bring her back home since I have custody. I told them thats teaching her to run from her problems in life. I told them to bring her back home so that we all can talk like adults. Whenever she run away they come get her from where ever shes w/o telling me and dont take her to school. Ive tried to have an open line of communication but they dont answer phone nor reply to text messages when I call to ask why shes not in school. They even lied to me about taking her to school.

I call the school and was informed she wasnt there. and grandmother never been in her life until She lied and told them my husband whos raised her since she was 4 yr old was physically abusing her when he disciplinesaid plans her. 7 mos ago DCF got involved and didn't see any signs need to remove her and I never heard from them again after 1st visit. My husband backed off and doesn't want to be involved since he's afraid of losing his nursing license if anything happens again. I've tried private counseling, church, taking off work due to multiple phones calls from principal about catching her in the hallway skipping class with friends. I tried residential therapy but she ran away to grand mom's house.

I submitted a missing person's report 4 times she ran away. Police says it's nothing they can do about her running away to grand mom/auntie house because she's going to continue to run away. Aunite trying to get her into school close to their home and asked for paperwork recently. Next they will try seeking child support.

What can I do to get my child back in my custody? Should I seek an attorney? Should I wait until I go to the truancy meeting?

Go to where she is and get her. You are the only person that has custody.

You need to look into places you can send her that are not local. The places I am thinking about are expensive and they have strict rules the children must obey. When the rules are broken the children are punished. You need to get her away from her friends and other family members. You need to get her to a place she cannot have contact with them. If you are able to find a place for her, Do Not Tell Anyone Where She Is. If you do, her friends and other family will do all they can to get her to leave. The places that I am thinking about do not allow visits from friends and family. I'm sorry I can't think of the name of these places right now. Someone else may know what I am taking about.

You have custody. They don't. Until she is 18 she does what you say. Perhaps it's time to put her back in private school. Maybe try a military school.

They can't get child support from you they don't have custody and you don't need to give them any paperwork. Stop letting them run all over you. YOU are the mother. YOU are the custodial parent. They are nothing. You go to their house, get her in the car and honesty I'd file a damn restraining order against the grandma and the aunt if I could.

You don't need an attorney. They don't have custody unless you left something out.

I agree with the others. The law is on your side with this. It may mean getting the law involved to address this situation. The child is technically a run away, and you have the right to parent as you believe appropriate. You already had her in private school before, so shift to a private school out of town where she will get the structure needed to get her focus back. Also, considering her behavior, she may need therapy.

Stop letting your daughter and these other family members of hers tell you what to do and not do. Go get your daughter and put her in a school a good distance away. Do Not Tell anyone where she is. It is no ones business. If they don't know where she is, they can't cause problems. The types if schools I mentioned don't allow cell phones so your daughter can't call them and tell them where she is.

She will have to have a physical and you might have to get some documents from her school. Those are the only people that you might have to tell where she is going. It would be best to not tell your daughter where she is going until right before she leaves. Be sure and take her cell phone before you tell her. The school she goes to will have advice about this.

Seek restraining orders against grandmother and auntie

give the school notice grandmother and auntie do not have authority nor permission to pick up the child. If grandmother and auntie are allowed to pick up the child, contact the police while you are at the school and make a report. Tell the police you have granted no such permission and as far as you are concerned this is kidnapping and want to see it treated as such.


You can contact the local prosecutor seeking to have your child charged as being incorrigible. Before you take that step I would speak with an attorney first. Once you get a child into the system, getting them out can be very difficult. There could be long term unwanted results from seeking to have your child charged as incorrigible.