Alex's Answer
My friend needs help
Your Question
I have a friend who is 14 and is in trouble. Her mum and stepdad are useless they keep have kids after kids and isnt feeding or taking care of them. My friend left her home two weeks ago i only found out tonight. I can’t take her in and she has no where to go. She rang a social worker but i think she rang the wrong person because they said they would set up a meeting with her in a few weeks and she needs her now. I’ve grown up in foster care and i know what its like to need help. I help her where i can with food clothes and money but I can’t take her in. Can you please helpÂ
Answer
Hi there, thank you so much for reaching out to Ask Alex.
I am so sorry to hear about what your friend is going through. Well done for reaching out for some support for her. You have said that your friend has left her home and needs help. It sounds like you are quite worried about your friend and you want her to be safe.
As she is 14, it might be best for her to go to her local Garda station and tell them what is going on at home. The Gardaà have a duty of care to minors and should support your friend. The Gardaà also have a confidential line that she may feel safer contacting, this can be reached by calling 1800 666111, and is accessible 24 hours a day.
There is also a missing children’s hotline that she may find helpful, this can be reached on 116 000. This service provides emotional support and information to children and young people who are missing or thinking of running away, or to the families of a missing child.
This article on our site may also help with understanding what she is experiencing at the moment: www.childline.ie/running-away/.
I hope this helps and I really hope your friend is safe and protected from harm.
If she would like to talk to a trusted adult, she can ring Childline and talk to someone free of charge on 1800 66 66 66 or through the live chat on www.childline.ie .  You can start a chat at any time by clicking on the Orange Tab on the right-hand side of your screen. Childline is a non-judgmental and confidential listening service.
Take care of yourself,
Alex