For Parents

If your child is missing

What to do right now

If Your Child is Missing

1

Dial 911

Report your child missing to your local law enforcement agency. Don’t Wait.

2

Fill out the form

Let our team know about your situation so we can begin support.

3

Call ncmec

800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) to help distribute your child’s photo nationwide.

You’ve asked for help

What happens next?

Once you have called 911 and submitted your information, you should not have to figure out the rest alone. Our team typically contacts you within 24 hours. If we accept the case, a licensed private investigator begins developing leads and a Parent Support Advocate becomes your consistent point of contact that same day. One works the search, one stands with your family, and both stay coordinated with the law enforcement agency responsible for bringing your child home.

Parents who have been exactly where you are, meeting together with a facilitator. Nothing needs explaining in that room.

One dedicated advocate, often someone who has lived through this themselves, walks with you: case updates, coaching, and calm guidance through the search.

The Restoration Fund helps with rent, groceries, and the practical needs that don’t pause during a crisis.

Learn About Family Support

Resources

Beyond the search

We treat every accepted case as missing and endangered. If your child has been labeled a runaway, we keep the focus on the risk around them: who influenced them to leave, where they may be, and who benefits from them being missing. Finding Kids advocates for that urgency while working within the law enforcement process.

The Other Side Of the problem

Connection is Prevention

The strongest protection begins with connection. Talk with your child regularly about who they message, where they spend time online, and anything that makes them uncomfortable. Learn the apps, games, and platforms they use. Set clear, age-appropriate boundaries around devices, location sharing, and meeting online contacts in person. Most importantly, make sure they know they can come to you without fear of immediate punishment.

Trust them. Start a conversation, loop in a school counselor, or call NCMEC for guidance. You don’t need proof to pay attention.

Regular time with your full attention does more than any monitoring app. Kids who feel connected at home are harder to pull away from it.

Ask about their online life. Ask who they talk to online, how they met, and what those people ask of them. Ask the same way you’d ask about school. A kid who expects the question keeps fewer secrets.

Ask who they talk to online, how they met, and what those people ask of them. Ask the same way you’d ask about school. A kid who expects the question keeps fewer secrets.

Say it directly, and often. Kids stay silent because they’re afraid of getting in trouble. Take that fear away and they have an easier time talking.

Father of 14 year old

There are no fees for our services, ever. Every search and every hour of Family Support is funded by people who decided a missing child was their problem too.