Finding a Lost Child

Missing Kids

What's your first response when you discover that your child is missing?

If you are like most parents, you immediately feel terror, as you imagine the one hundred and one bad things that could be happening to your child. It is important to remain calm though, as what you do first might mean the difference between whether or not you have a happy ending.

In addition to calling for help, the first thing to do is check the places in and around your home that pose the greatest hazard to your child. Keep in mind that your child could drown in just seconds or minutes in a backyard pool or pond, so that should be where you check first, instead of underneath all of the beds or in the guest-room closet.

If your younger child is simply hiding some place inside the house, she will likely still be okay, even if you don't find her for 15 or 20 minutes, although she probably wouldn't last that long in the trunk of your car, in your hot tub, or on a busy street.

If Your Child Is Missing

After calling for help, including other adults in your home or a close neighbor who can help search, you should very quickly:

• check high danger areas, which might include:
  • a pool, hot tub, pond, stream, lake, or any other nearby body of water
  • nearby vehicles, including car trunks
  • an old refrigerator, inside which kids can get trapped
  • a street with a lot of traffic
• look inside closets, under beds, and any other place that your child likes to hide
• check nearby 'fun' areas, including playgrounds
• check with neighbors that your child often visits or plays with

Fortunately, many 'missing kids' are simply 'lost' for a few minutes and there is no tragic ending like we sometimes see on the news. But if you still can't find your child after a quick search, you should call your local law enforcement agency for extra help and request that they:

• enter your child into the National Crime Information Center Missing Persons File
• put out a Be On the Look Out bulletin
• issue an Amber Alert

You should also call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) for more help and advice during this very stressful time. Their Family Survival Guide is a wonderful resource for parents and can help them know what to do and expect during the first 48 hours of discovering that their child is missing.

Prevention

Since the consequences can be so tragic, parents should take great steps to make sure that their kids can't get away from them and become lost. These might include, but aren't limited to:

• Childproof your home so that your younger kids can't get outside on their own. Just as importantly, make sure any home your are visiting is childproofed, otherwise keep a very close eye on your kids.
• Have a designated 'watcher' for each child, especially at parties, when their can be a lot of kids running around and a lot of people coming and going from the house.
• Know where high danger areas are in and around your home so that you know where to check if your child is missing.
• Have a recent picture of your child that you can give to law enforcement to help in a search if that becomes necessary.