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Call to boost runaways support Call to boost runaways support
(about 4 hours later)
The government has been called upon to set up a national support network for children who run away from home. A coalition of charities is urging the government to set up a national support network for young people who run away.
MPs are being urged to sign a petition in the shape of a giant running shoe, representing the estimated 140,000 under-18s who run away each year. MPs are being asked to sign a petition in the shape of a giant running shoe, representing the estimated 140,000 under-18s who go missing each year.
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Missing People, said his voluntarily funded organisation provided a life-saving service for young runaways. Specialists are to give evidence at a series of Parliamentary hearings to highlight the problems runaways face.
He said a national infrastructure was essential to safeguard children. The Children's Society said it should be recognised that a teenager facing a night on the streets was a high risk.
Mr Tuohy said: "The national infrastructure to safeguard runaways and missing children at the moment is in actual fact fairly small, which might come as a surprise to most people." Kathy Evans, policy director at the Children's Society, said some local services were in place but it was nowhere near a national safety net.
National campaign When you run away, it's hard to trust people Jessica Lee, former runaway
He said the issue of missing people often slipped through the cracks and off the public agenda. She told BBC Breakfast there needed to be local services, a national helpline and a look at the way police respond when a children is reported missing and what happens when they are found.
He said Missing People, formerly the Missing Persons Helpline, runs a helpline, provides publicity and sighting campaigns and offers family support. Jessica Lee, who ran away from home at 13, told the programme she did not know who to turn to for help.
Mr Tuohy said: "Children can run away for all sorts of problems, like bullying for example. "Things were really difficult at home so I ran away," she said.
"We know of children recently who have actually died as a result of family issues or where they've been caught up in bullying and haven't known how to deal with it, and it has led to fatalities. For three months, she stayed with her dad who she met for the first time, friends, sometimes strangers and even spent one night on the street before she found help.
"We've really got to put it in front of the public agenda for our MPs next week that the runaway helpline, the national service we offer, is actually a life-saver service." "It got to the point where it became an addiction to me," she said.
"For me, social services, and anyone in authority, was the enemy. But I found out about a Children's Society project in Devon. They built the trust up with me. When you run away, it's hard to trust people."
'Life-saver service'
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Missing People, said the issue of missing people often slipped through the cracks and off the public agenda.
"The national infrastructure to safeguard runaways and missing children at the moment is, in actual fact, fairly small, which might come as a surprise to most people," he said.
In some cases, things were so bad for these children that it led to fatalities, he said.
"We've really got to put it in front of the public agenda for our MPs...that the runaway helpline, the national service we offer, is actually a life-saver service."