4 Troubled Teens Blog

According to a Oct. 15 article on the LasVegasNow website, homeless teens in Nevadas Clark County can get help from the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) by sending a text message to a special number:

By texting the word "Safe" and an address, teens can get a text message back with the nearest Safe Place location and a toll free number for immediate help.

Whether they are being abused or just need someone to talk to, organizers hope teens will text for help. "If we get to them before their 18th birthday, if we get to them while they're still in school and working towards goals, then we can help them pursue those goals and become protective members of society," said [said NPHY's Tim Mullin].

Teens have to text the word Safe and their address to 69866. they'll get a text message right back with the nearest Safe Place location.

Labels: text_messaging, safe_haven

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

The state of Nebraska is changing its "safe haven" law to apply to infants only.

Nebraska was the last U.S. state to pass a law allowing parents or caretakers to abandon children to state custody by dropping them off at certain designated places. However, the Nebraska law refers to "child" instead of "newborn."

Consequently, some parents have dropped off teenagers, many of whom are violent or out of control. Some parents and caretakers have come to Nebraska from other states, including Iowa and Michigan, to turn over their children. One single parent abandoned nine children under age 18.

The Nebraska situation has prompted a debate about the adequacy of services that are available to stressed-out families and troubled teens.

Labels: safe_haven, parents, abandonment

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments