Lost child: what to do if your child is missing¶

Every parent and carer fears losing sight of a child. Most children are found within minutes, but you should act at once. This page tells you what to do, and how to prepare your child.

Do this now¶

1. Stop and look around you for a minute. Call your child's name loudly. Check nearby places a child might go.
2. Ask the people with you to help search, and tell one person to stay at the spot where you lost your child.
3. Alert staff right away: a store manager, a security guard, or a member of staff at the venue. Many shops and venues have a plan for missing children.
4. Call the police without delay. Do not wait to finish a long search. Use your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom).
5. Give the police a clear description and a recent photo from your phone.

Search briefly, then call¶

A quick look is reasonable, because many children have simply wandered a few steps away. Check the closest spots first, such as the toy aisle, the exit, the water, the playground, or a nearby ride.

Do not spend a long time searching alone. Missing child guidance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States is to tell staff and call law enforcement right away. Police can send more people, close exits, and check cameras faster than you can.

... danger "Water, roads, and cars" If you are near a pool, lake, river, sea, busy road, or parked cars, check those places first and ask others to help. Call your emergency number immediately.

Tell staff¶

Go to the nearest member of staff. Say your child's name, age, and what they are wearing, and ask them to alert others and watch the exits. Many shops and venues can announce a missing child, lock the doors, or check cameras.

Stay where staff tell you if they ask you to, and keep your phone with you.

What to tell the police¶

• Your child's name, age, height, and build
• What your child is wearing, including shoes, and anything unusual such as glasses, a backpack, or a toy
• When and where you last saw your child
• A recent photo, and any medical needs or disabilities
• Who was with your child, and whether your child knows your phone number

Stay on the line if you are asked to. Stay near where you last saw your child so someone can find you.

Once you have reported to the police, you can contact a missing children organization in your country. In the United States that is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Outside the United States, ask the police about your country's hotline.

When your child is found¶

Hug your child, and stay calm. A frightened child needs comfort first and talk later. Tell the police and staff straight away, so the search stops.

Talk with your child later about what happened, without blaming them. Practice the plan below.

Teach children what to do if lost¶

Short, calm practice works better than warnings.

• Teach your child your full name, their full name, and your phone number, once they are old enough.
• Tell them to stop and stay where they are, and not to wander looking for you.
• Show them who to ask for help: a police officer, a worker in a uniform or at a till, or another parent with children.
• Teach them never to go off with anyone, even someone they know, without asking you or the adult looking after them.
• Pick a meeting point in busy places, such as an information desk.
• Write your phone number on a card in a pocket or on a wristband for young children in a crowd.
• Practice by asking "what would you do if you lost me?"

Related guides¶

• Family emergency plan
• Lost outdoors
• Drowning
• Emergency numbers