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What to do if your child is missing

1. Immediately call your local law enforcement agency.
2. After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678).
3. If your child is missing from home, search through:
   • Closets.
   • Piles of laundry.
   • In and under beds.
   • Inside large appliances.
   • Vehicles – including trunks.
   • Anywhere else that a child may crawl or hide.
4. Notify the store manager or security office if your child cannot be found when in a store. Then immediately call your local law enforcement agency. Many stores have a Code Adam plan of action in place.
5. When you call law enforcement
   Provide law enforcement with your child’s name, date of birth, height, weight, and descriptions of any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing.
6. Request law enforcement authorities immediately enter your child’s name and identifying information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center Missing Person File.

Information provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Report Child Exploitation

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children.

The public and electronic service providers can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet.


Make a report >

Information provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children