Foster Children Who Run Away
Aside from the fact that leaving a foster home is not a crime, the use of warrants and arrests actively undermines the work of foster care providers. When youths leave their foster homes, they are often running to a place that is familiar and comfortable as they try to cope with the trauma and instability inherent to placement in foster care.
Issuing a warrant for this noncriminal behavior contributes to the systemic criminalization of young people of color, and says to this vulnerable population that whether or not you commit a crime, you can still be arrested and sit in jail. There are other options…
