Thank you for the question! Moving away from home is a big and intimidating decision. The main concern with moving out is whether you are safe now and whether you will be safe when you leave. If you or someone you know is in danger of harm, please contact ConnecTeen.
Here at ConnecTeen, we aren’t experts in law, so we cannot tell you what age you can move out. However, the Youth Law website has lots of information on independent living for youth, which you can find here: http://youthlaw.ca/independent-living/. Under Law Topics, they cover a host of other helpful law topics for youth, like school, sex and consent, working as a youth, and more. It is a great resource to explore if you have questions like this. You can even ask lawyers specific questions under “Ask a question.”
If you need to leave your home immediately, you may want to consider a youth shelter such as the Avenue 15 Shelter. You can phone them at 403-543-9651 for more information.
As a teen, there are many reasons why you might want to move out of your house and away from your family. Relationships with family can get tense, and there can be lots of conflict. To some degree of this is normal, but it’s important to know when things are not okay and are crossing a line. Physical violence is always a sign that it is time to talk to an adult you trust about it. This can be your doctor, your teacher or school counselor, a family friend, for a few ideas. And if you have concerns with relationships with your family members, you can contact ConnecTeen to talk through these concerns with a volunteer.
You can call us at 403-264-8336 or text us at 587-333-2724, or chat with us online at https://calgaryconnecteen.com/. If there is immediate danger to yourself or others, call 911.
