Families of runaway children find help

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An untold numbers of families, parents and grandparents are desperate to find runaway children.

Crystal Thompson is the mother of a 12-year-old son. She and the boy's great-grandmother say they are at their wits in because her son is a repeat runaway.

“My biggest fear is for someone to come knock on my door and tell me to come identify my kid,” Thompson said.

Thompson’s son is among the hundreds who are repeat runaways in Dallas every year. Dallas County Juvenile does try to help families with children not in the system by ascertaining the problem and referring them to free services. Centers that offer free centers include Harmony Counseling Center, Counseling Institute of Texas, Beckloff Pediatric Behavioral Center to name a few.

Doctor Audrey Lind is CEO of Promise House, another free resource. The non-profit offers free services to abused neglected and homeless youth as well as families in crisis with runaways

“Sometimes its substance related they have maybe hooked up with a difficult crowd their parents are trying to set limits of course you have the whole teenage rebellion as a typical runaway scenario,” she said.

Families who want and need help can simply call and request therapeutic services. The services can also work one-on-one with the teen.