What To Do If Your Child Goes Missing

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We hope it never happens, but it’s important to know what to do if your child goes missing.

For this list, I consulted government websites, nonprofits, police, and parents whose children went missing. These are the steps professionals say to take right away to increase your chances of a happy outcome.

Think: Police, Picture, People

  1. Call the police immediately. It is better to not need them than to lose valuable time with a missing child. The chances of finding your child are better the sooner you notify the police. 
  2. Find several recent pictures that show their face well. The police will need these for the search. 
  3. Give a description of your child and what they were wearing and any items they may have had with them. You will also need to recall everything that happened before and after you realized they were missing, including where you looked. Details are important!
  4. Make a list for the police. You will want to supply the police with names, addresses, and numbers for anyone your child might be with. Access to online accounts and electronic devices should also be handed over.
  5. Cooperate completely with the police. Holding things up due to embarrassment or anger can be dangerous. Make sure to take care of yourself and your family so you can function and recover your best as a family.
  6. Make sure to ask the police for a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) even if the situation doesn’t meet the parameters for an Amber alert. You’ll also want to ensure you have a police contact person for the case. You can also ask about involving the FBI and dog searches. Repeat these requests if needed.
  7. It can be a good idea to keep something in hand to write down things you think of to tell or ask. Then, if you remember something, you can write it down so you don’t forget to bring it up to the police later on. 
  8. Make sure someone remains home or where the child went missing in case they return. Have someone designated to handle all phone calls and make notes of calls for you or a forwarding/voicemail service.
  9. Go on social media and/or ask law enforcement about contacting news media.
  10. Contact the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) to help spread pictures and get more help, etc. You may also contact other local agencies for missing children.

Remember, even when children do go missing, most are found safely within a few hours. However, taking these steps can prevent the worst from happening.

Think: Police, Picture, People

You need to get the police involved and listening; you need to provide pictures of your child that will help find them and a picture of what happened with your words; you need to reach out to people you know and people you don’t know quickly.

What else would you add to this list?

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Paula Billingsley
Originally from Columbia, Paula has also lived in NC, Florida, Alaska, and the UK before returning, after her husband’s deployment, to start USC School of Law. After passing the bar, working with education nonprofits, and going back for her Masters in English, she’s set aside being an active attorney for now to focus on her health, writing, and raising her baby girl, Evy. Paula knows life does not usually go as expected, like being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and sometimes it goes better, like eloping or adopting her best book review buddy, Evy! She binges on good tv, good books, good chocolate, good tea, and good conversation. She’s also a fan of winning, whether at board games or yoga. At home, she enjoys making art, music, stories, and tasty food with her family including two wild puppies, Poppy and Petra. Out and about, she enjoys being involved in theatre and music, like at Town Theatre, enjoying the outdoors and wildlife, attending Windsor United Methodist Church, shopping, volunteering, and traveling on the cheap! She does not enjoy laundry, social injustice, environmental destruction, the patriarchy, coffee, soda, kale, or pants. She’s excited and thankful to pursue her calling and bring her child up in this kid friendly town.

2 COMMENTS

  1. You can also voluntarily submit DNA for free to NamUs. It is often not mentioned by law enforcement to the families, but if asked to they can help facilitate that. In the unfortunate event that the child’s whereabouts are not resolved quickly, having a match on file could be beneficial down the road.

    Anyone can submit a missing persons case to NamUs too. They will validate it with the appropriate investigator before it is made public.

    National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) is a clearing house for missing persons and unidentified decedent records in the United States, and is funded by and a part of the Department of Justice. It is accessible to the general public, as well as other fields available to only law enforcement. They provide free DNA testing and other forensic services, such as anthropology and odontology assistance.

  2. You can also voluntarily submit DNA for free to NamUs. It is often not mentioned by law enforcement to the families, but if asked to they can help facilitate that. In the unfortunate event that the child’s whereabouts are not resolved quickly, having a match on file could be beneficial down the road.

    Anyone can submit a missing persons case to NamUs too. They will validate it with the appropriate investigator before it is made public.

    National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) is a clearing house for missing persons and unidentified decedent records in the United States, and is funded by and a part of the Department of Justice. It is accessible to the general public, as well as other fields available to only law enforcement. They provide free DNA testing and other forensic services, such as anthropology and odontology assistance.

    (This is my second comment due to a typo :] )

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