The law defines At-Risk Youth as an individual under the age of 18 years old who:
- Is absent from home for more than 72 consecutive hours without consent of his/her parent(s)/guardian(s); or
- Is beyond the control of his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) such that the child's behavior substantially endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the child or another person; or
- Has a serious substance abuse problem for which there are no pending charges related to substance abuse.
The purpose of the legislation is to empower parents to use court intervention as a last resort to keep youth home or in an alternative safe place. For information on filing a petition please click on the brochure or contact