Home Free

You have left home.  You may be tired, scared or hungry.  You want to go home and work things out, but you don't have any money or any way to get home.  Thousands of teens have been in your shoes.  How did they get home? Through our Home Free program, done in collaboration with Greyhound Lines, Inc., more than 10,000 youth have been reunited with their families, free of charge, since the program’s inception.  The first step to getting Home Free is calling 1-800-RUNAWAY.

How Do I Know if I Qualify?
You must be between the ages of 12 and 20.  NRS must verify a missing person's report has been filed in your hometown if you are under 18.

Am I Limited to Where I Can Go on the Free Ticket?
Youth up to age 18 must be returning to a parent or legal guardian.  If you are 19 or 20 and not returning to your parent’s home, NRS can make arrangements for a ticket to an independent living facility in, or near, your hometown.

Who Do I Talk With to Get a Ticket Home?
The process starts when you call the National Runaway Switchboard at
1-800-RUNAWAY.  We talk to you about why you ran and why you feel ready to return home.  Next, we place a conference call between you and your legal guardian to talk about your return and determine a plan of action.  As a final step, we contact Greyhound with you to make travel arrangements.

What Happens After That?
Home Free isn't just a bus ticket home.  We want you to be safe.  We also want you to stay home by helping you rebuild your relationship with your family.  In addition to working with you and your parents/guardians to develop a plan before you return home, we also provide you with resources in your community to help you start rebuilding your relationship.  We also contact you to make sure you got home safely and to see how things are going.  If necessary, we give you the names of other resources in your community to help you continue your success.