Greyhound bus company offers free tickets home to runaway children

Greyhound Lines Inc. and The National Runaway Safeline (NRS) are offering runaway, homeless and exploited kids a free ride home or to a safe and stable place to stay.

According to the NRS, kids and adults between the ages of 12 and 21 who identify as homeless, runaway or a victim of human trafficking are eligible. They should also be willing to be reunited with their family and agree to complete the necessary steps to obtain a ticket through the program.

The Home Free Program, which was established in 1995, also provides parents, guardians and other family members a round-trip ticket to travel to the person's location.

Youths between 18 and 21 are limited to one ticket in their lifetime, while individuals younger than that can use the program twice during their lifetime.

Once home, the participants must also agree to a follow-up phone call to verify the youth's arrival and to review the utilization of local resources agreed upon during the process.

According to the NRS, in 2017, 313 youth received Home Free bus tickets, including 19 youth who identified labor or sex trafficking as a factor contributing to their need for transportation assistance.

To start the process, you must call the NRS hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY and speak privately with NRS staff about the situation.

For more details, eligibility and restriction information, click here.