An estimated one in nine children will run away from home or substitute care before their 16th birthday in the UK. This paper explores the safeguarding concerns and responses for children and young people who run away or go missing from home. The majority of children and young people run away from home due to family relationship problems. Running away or being physically absent from home may be due to abuse and neglect. One in 11 children reported being hurt or harmed whilst running away. For some young people, ‘running to’ a person or situation can present many risks and can be part of a coercive and exploitative relationship. Despite these multiple indicators of risk, there has been little focus on safeguarding policies and practice for children and young people who run away from home. Drawing on a case example of a third‐sector service using Return Interview Assessments, this paper argues that professionals must ensure that all children and young people who run away or go missing from home are given meaningful opportunities to be listened to, and taken seriously, in order to ensure that a wide range of safeguarding concerns can be addressed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: When a child runs away from home, something may be wrong in that child's life. Some children run away or are absent from home due to abuse or neglect. Some children are ‘running to’ a place or person, which can place them at even more risk of harm. All children who run away need to have an opportunity to talk about what is happening in their life without feeling judged. ‘there has been little focus on safeguarding policies and practice for children and young people who run away from home’ ‘Some children are ‘running to’ a place or person, which can place them at even more risk of harm’