Missing and at Risk Children

If your child has run away from home there are a number of things you can do:

• Make a brief, reasonable search - Is she/he really missing or at a friend's house etc.?
• Notify the police and file a missing persons report
• Tell others (friends, family, friends of your child) that she/he is missing and ask that they give you any information they can that might be helpful
• Check any records that might give you clues of your child's whereabouts (e.g., phone records, emails, letters, etc.)
• Visit your child's school and talk to administration and teachers
• Install caller ID on your phone if possible
• Contact hotlines for missing children (U.S. National Runaway Switchboard, 1-800-RUNAWAY), Canada: Missing Children's Hotline, 1-888-326-5352, Child CyberSearch) See also Teens in Trouble: Runaways for more resources.
• Take care of yourself and your other children. This is a time when you will need to access your supports.
• There are also support networks, such as Team HOPE in the United States that may be of some assistance.