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Step-By-Step Process
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Many parents become traumatized when their child becomes lost or missing. Panic sets in and they are unable to think clearly on how to handle the situation.
The first thing to do when this occurs is to contact your local police department and over the telephone give them a good description of your child, especially the type and color of clothes he/she was last seen wearing, color of hair and eyes, height and weight of the child and any special distinctive marks on the child.
Secondly, make sure you have a recent color picture of your child to give to the police officer when he arrives at your house. This is extremely important when the missing flyer is published and distributed around your neighborhood.
Next, ask a friend or neighbor to help you and start a detailed search of your home for your child. Often a child will be found hiding in a closet or under a bed because he/she has done something wrong and is afraid to face the parents. Check with neighbors and have them search their property. Also contact your child's friends to make sure that your child didn't go to visit one of them without telling you.
Conduct a second search of your house and property with a police officer when he arrives because frequently upset parents may miss something during the first search. Check to see if your child took a bicycle or left on foot. By using a bicycle, a child can cover a lot more area than walking.
Think back over the last few hours to remember if you had an argument with your child or said something that would hurt his/her feelings and make them want to leave home.
If the child is not found within the first two (2) hours, contact The Kid-Safe Network and send us information and a picture so that we may post it on our Web Site and have our staff of volunteers begin to post the Missing Flyer around the region.
The following is a list of steps to take once it has been determined that the child is actually missing.
What to do if your Child disappears
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 | Call 911 for the police right away
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| Call the local FBI office. Report that your child is missing and ask if they help in finding him/her. Also ask to have your child registered in the FBI’s NCIC computer as a "Stranger Abducted Child" but only if you believe that to be true. Also ask the FBI (if appropriate to your situation) if they would contact their Child Abduction Division. |
| Call other law enforcement agencies that cover your area, such as the Sheriffs Department or State Police. |
| Contact media groups immediately, groups such as Television and Radio stations, as well as local and tri-county newspapers. |
| Contact all child locator services immediately, such as The NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) (800) 843-5678. You can also find their web site at www.missingkids.com. Ask them to help lead you though best possible process that will get you the best results in your child’s recovery. |
| Choose a print shop that can get flyers printed of your missing child right away. Make sure to supply a current front and side profile of your child. |
| Organize volunteers to help in flyer distribution. Start by distributing flyers in high trafficked areas such as Truck Stops, Airports, Gas Stations, Bus Stations, Convenience Stores and Restaurants near exits off major roads. |
| Organize a search party, get volunteers to help search, as many areas around where the child was last seen. Then expand it out as far as possible. Be sure to include supervision by law enforcement personnel. |
| Volunteers can be sought from Search And Rescue groups, local Military base personal, Scouts or Eagle Scouts, VFW Post Members, Church Members, and any other group or club in your area. |
| If appropriate and your situation calls for it, and if not provided by your local law enforcement, get a tracking dog to hunt around the area your child was last seen. |
| Make sure to cooperate fully with police and media, they will be your most important link. |
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