Contact Us

Contact the Texas Youth Helpline any time, day or night, to discuss your problem. It's free, and we're here to help!

Call center operator helping a stressed parent who needs help from the Texas Youth Helpline.

Help for Parents & Guardians

We help parents and guardians in crisis find solutions to tough situations.

We understand how stressful life can be. Whether it's because your child or teen is struggling and may be thinking about running away, or because you are stressed out about work or finances, we can help.

Our advocates can listen, brainstorm next steps, help you understand the laws about running away, or find low cost or free services. We connect parents, guardians, and youth to counselors and other resources every day. It's what we do.

The Helpline is confidential.

Whether you contact us by phone, text, or chat, you are not required to share your name or address. We are not a reporting hotline, and we are not associated with law enforcement or Child Protective Services.

You don’t have to wait to report a missing child.

There is no law requiring a waiting period for reporting missing children to the police or for entering their information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system. However, police department procedures vary. Contact us for more information. If you believe your child is missing due to foul play, immediately contact your local police department.

Free message service for runaway youth and their families

We offer a free message service so runaways can communicate with their parents or guardians if they don't want to talk with them directly. All calls are strictly confidential.

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Runaway laws in Texas

The Texas Youth Helpline can help answer any questions you have about the legal issues or laws in Texas affecting you or your child if they run away, move out, or if you decide to kick them out. The Texas Youth Helpline can help find answers to your questions about the legal issues or laws in Texas that affect you or your child if they run away, move out, or are kicked out.

What to do if a teen runs away

It can be hard to know what to do when your child runs away. The Texas Youth Helpline is here to help guide you through the first steps of what to do. The Helpline can offer resources that may help you reunite with your teen and to prevent future runaways.

Need other Information?

Parent worried about their child running away from home or thinking about kicking kicking out their teenager.
  • Texas Abuse Hotline - Report abuse, file a report online, or call them 24/7 at 1-800-252-5400. You can remain anonymous, and information about a person who reports abuse is confidential.
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Find out about suicide prevention.
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline - Reach out if you have experienced or suspect sexual assault.
  • National Human Trafficking Hotline - Get help or report human trafficking. You can also call 888-373-7888, text HELP to BEFREE (233733), or email, or chat online.
  • Adoption Services - Learn about adoption services from Texas Health and Human Services if you are pregnant and considering offering your baby for adoption.
  • Mental Health Texas - Get information, resources, and direction if you have mental health-related needs or want to support someone who does.
  • One Pill Kills – Get information on how to protect your teen from counterfeit (fake) prescription pills and fentanyl poisoning. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin.