Americans are considered emancipated adults at 18.
Most people I know take quite awhile longer to become adults, myself included. I'm not sure I qualify now and I'm 47! But seriously, at 18 a "child" can leave home and pretty much do as they please (although the national drinking age is still 21 as far as I know).

And for Michelle....I understand your heartache completely...my son walked away from a full 4 year scholarship after a semester. He lounged around for about a year and then decided to enlist in the Army. My dreams of watching my son play lacrosse in college, visits home for holidays and summers, evaporated over night. But he has grown up a great deal in a short time and I am very proud of him.

Your daughter has made a choice and it's probably not a good one....the hard part will be letting her live with the choices for good or ill. If the first time she has a problem or needs help she calls you to rescue her, you're going to have to do the tough love thing and let her deal w/ her own problems. The one thing I'm sure of is that if you rescue her, she'll learn nothing, and she'll keep doing the runaway then come home routine. I have a 40plus sibling who is still pulling that w/ my mother!

This is the part of motherhood that is the most gut wrenching of all. We're all with you here and will pray for you.