How to Help Find Missing Kids

Many missing children are found alive each year.

According to the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children (NCEMC), upwards of 800,000 children in the United States go missing each year. Of these, 200,000 children were abducted by family members; 58,000 were abducted by non-family members; and only 115 were victims of a “stereotypical” kidnapping. Fortunately, many missing children are found alive each year through tips provided by local citizens and with the assistance of dedicated volunteers.

Instructions

1. Visit the website of the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children (NCEMC) and browse through photos and descriptions of missing kids. If you’ve seen any featured children--in the past few days or even years--contact the organization or your local law enforcement agency. You also can donate money via the website to help support the organizations efforts to find missing children.

2. Download free banners from the NCEMC website and display them on your website or blog. Encourage friends, coworkers and family members to display them on their websites or blogs, too. Some banners rotate photos of missing children while others display the organization’s Web address and toll-free phone number.

3. Start a Code Adam program at your workplace. Sponsored by the NCEMC, this nationwide program trains employees in public establishments in procedures to follow when a child is reported missing. Participating businesses display a Code Adam decal at their entrances. There is no charge to participate in this program.

4. Join the NCEMC’s free Poster Partner Program. When a child is reported missing in your area, you’ll receive an e-mail alert with a link to a poster with the child’s photo and information that you can print and display in public places.

5. Read Amber Alert signs on your local highways. Take note of the descriptions of the child, abductor, suspected vehicle and license plate number. Keep on the lookout for individuals and vehicles that match these descriptions and spread the word to your friends and family.

6. Encourage your friends, colleagues and relatives to keep recent photographs of their children and to maintain up-to-date records of their weight, height or other distinguishing features, as well as dental records. Doing so can help save a child’s life should she be abducted or lost.

Tips & Warnings

• If you see someone with a child you suspect might have been abducted, do not intervene, as abductors sometimes are armed and dangerous. Instead, call 911 immediately.

References

• NCEMC: FAQ--Missing Children
• NCEMC: Get Involved
• NCEMC: Banners
• NCEMC: Code Adam

Resources

• Klaas Kids Foundation: What to Do If Your Child Disappears
• VolunteerMatch
• Anne Arundel County, MD: Tips for Preventing Child Abductions