Parents cannot “emancipate” their child. Emancipation is a way for minors to remove their legal disabilities of minority and terminate their legal relationship with their parents. The forms must be filed by a minor.
We have gotten a few calls to our hotline from parents who want to protect themselves from legal liability for a child that refuses to comply with their rules or who leaves home often.You can find a list of prevention & intervention services that can help you with your teen or provide free family counseling here. The Services to At-Risk Youth (STAR) program can also help intervene before you need to interact with the juvenile justice system. There is a STAR provider in every Texas county. DFPS can direct you to the nearest STAR provider, or google the name of your county + “STAR program”.
Texas Family Code 51.03 includes a status for minors called “child in need of supervision” (CHINS or CINS). This includes “the voluntary absence of a child from the child’s home without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian for a substantial length of time or without intent to return.” You can petition to have your child considered in need of supervision. Contact your county’s juvenile court or district court for more information.
