Young runaways
Every year in the UK an estimated 100,000 children and young people run away from home or care, with 1 in 6 ending up on the streets. A young person might run away from home or care for various reasons, but when they do so it usually means that something in their life isn't going right. Furthermore, these young people face the particular range of risks that come from having to find alternative places to stay and the means to survive.
The Government's Young Runaways Action Plan sets out what local agencies need to do to give these vulnerable young people the help they need, and demonstrates this Government's commitment to support improvements in services for young runaways.
Drawing on evidence and recommendations from key delivery partners and practitioners, the Action Plan will make sure that, wherever possible, young people get the help they need to sort out issues in their lives before they run, and, in recognition that some young people will still run away, will ensure that there are services which can go into action quickly to support these young people and keep them safe.
For more information, download the Young Runaways Action Plan from the DCSF website.
Local authority guidance
The Children Missing from Care and from Home guidance 2002 (to be read in conjunction with this erratum) will be reviewed and republished in Spring 2009 to further support Local Authorities in their delivery of services for young people who run away. Details will be published here as soon as they are available.
This page was last updated on 25 June 2008
