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What to do if your child is missing
National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) phone
numbers:
In the US and Canada, dial
1-800-843-5678
From Mexico, dial 001-800-843-5678
From Europe, dial 00-80-0843-5678
Exploited Children (NCMEC) phone
numbers:
In the US and Canada, dial
1-800-843-5678
From Mexico, dial 001-800-843-5678
From Europe, dial 00-80-0843-5678
FBI Headquarters: 202-324-3000
or visit www.fbi.gov to find a
Crimes Against Children
Coordinator at your local FBI Field
Office.
or visit www.fbi.gov to find a
Crimes Against Children
Coordinator at your local FBI Field
Office.
1. ACT IMMEDIATELY. If missing from home, search all closets, piles of laundry in and under beds, inside old
refrigerators and wherever a child could crawl into and hide and possibly fall asleep or not be able to get out. Check
with neighbors and friends. If you cannot find your child, IMMEDIATELY CALL THE POLICE. If missing away from
home, notify the management or security officers of the facility and ask for assistance, then IMMEDIATELY CALL
THE POLICE.
2. Call the police. Stay calm. Identify yourself and your location and say, "Please send an officer. I want to report a
missing child."
3. Give your child's name, date of birth, height, weight, eye and hair color and any identifiers, such as eyeglasses or
contacts, piercings, braces or unique physical attributes.
4. Tell the police when you last saw your child and what he or she was wearing when the disappearance occured. Give
them any Photos or ID, DNA, dental impressions, etc that you may have taken of your child, if available.
5. Listen and follow the instructions from police and respond to their questions.
6. Request that your child's name and identifying information be immediately entered into the FBI's National Crime
Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File (computerized-system). This ensures that any law-enforcement
agency in the USA will be able to identify your child if he or she is found in another community. If you have any doubt
that the police have entered the information into the computer system, you have the right to ask the FBI to make the
entry for you.
7. Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678). The Center is
a nonprofit organization that serves as a clearing house for information on missing and exploited children. They can
verify that your child's information is entered into the NCIC missing person file. One of their communications
specialists will take information concerning your child and assign a case manager who may be able to follow up with
you and the police department investigating the case. They may also be able to refer you to support groups in your
community that can also help.
refrigerators and wherever a child could crawl into and hide and possibly fall asleep or not be able to get out. Check
with neighbors and friends. If you cannot find your child, IMMEDIATELY CALL THE POLICE. If missing away from
home, notify the management or security officers of the facility and ask for assistance, then IMMEDIATELY CALL
THE POLICE.
2. Call the police. Stay calm. Identify yourself and your location and say, "Please send an officer. I want to report a
missing child."
3. Give your child's name, date of birth, height, weight, eye and hair color and any identifiers, such as eyeglasses or
contacts, piercings, braces or unique physical attributes.
4. Tell the police when you last saw your child and what he or she was wearing when the disappearance occured. Give
them any Photos or ID, DNA, dental impressions, etc that you may have taken of your child, if available.
5. Listen and follow the instructions from police and respond to their questions.
6. Request that your child's name and identifying information be immediately entered into the FBI's National Crime
Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File (computerized-system). This ensures that any law-enforcement
agency in the USA will be able to identify your child if he or she is found in another community. If you have any doubt
that the police have entered the information into the computer system, you have the right to ask the FBI to make the
entry for you.
7. Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678). The Center is
a nonprofit organization that serves as a clearing house for information on missing and exploited children. They can
verify that your child's information is entered into the NCIC missing person file. One of their communications
specialists will take information concerning your child and assign a case manager who may be able to follow up with
you and the police department investigating the case. They may also be able to refer you to support groups in your
community that can also help.