By Marc Courtiol
It is one of every parent’s worse nightmares. You take your
eye off your child for a minute only to find her gone when you turn around. Or
one day he does not get home from school at the normal time. Or she goes
outside to play and does not come back in. Scenarios like these are fortunately
uncommon, and when they do happen there is usually a good explanation, and it
is usually pretty easy to find the temporarily missing child. But what about
those very rare cases where the child is not easily found?
If this should happen to you, your first instinct may be to
panic. Any parent would. But it is important to keep a level head, think
rationally, and do what needs to be done. Should the unthinkable happen and you
cannot find your child, here is what you need to do.
Step 1: Someone who knows the child should be out actively
looking while you are going through the first few steps of the process. If you
wish to be the one out looking, have someone else go through these steps on
your behalf. Ideally, multiple people should be out looking-at least one person
on foot around where the child went missing, and at least one other person
searching the surrounding area via car. But make sure someone is always at
home.
Step 2: If there was ever an emergency, this is it. Pick up
the phone and dial 911. Do not worry-they will not dismiss you or tell you your
case is not an emergency. Calmly inform them of how long your child has been
missing, and give them all the relevant information they need. They will likely
ask take you through a process that involves a series of questions about your
child’s age, appearance, clothing, and last known whereabouts. If you do not
feel your call is being treated seriously enough, ask to speak to someone in
charge.
Step 3: Notify other authorities of the missing child. Your
911 call will get the ball rolling on some crucial aspects of the
investigation, and they may tell you that you do not need to call anyone else.
But just to cover all bases, call the local police as well as any other police
departments whose jurisdiction covers the area where your child went missing.
You might also get in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Each of
these resources should have a process for dealing with missing children.
Step 4: Notify local media. Many local news sources are
always willing to help out in cases like this by sending out alerts and
notifying their viewers and readers to be on the lookout.
Step 5: Contact organizations devoted to finding missing
children. A great place to start is the National Center
for Missing and Exploiting Children, and you may be able to locate nonprofits
in your area with expertise in helping out in this kind of situation.
Step 6: Ask for help from those around you. This is going to
be a difficult time for you. And even if your child comes home safely very soon
you are likely to suffer frayed nerves for a while. Get in touch with anyone
who you think would be able and willing to drop everything and help you. And if
you do not have any close friends or family nearby, ask neighbors. In
situations like these, most people are willing to lend a hand, even if they do
not know you.
Step 7: Follow up on everything. If you feel the law
enforcement agencies are taking too long to investigate your case or get back
to you, do not be afraid to call and visit them multiple times. Meanwhile, keep
taking matters into your own hands. Keep searching actively and calling around
to anyone who might know something. Do not give up hope. Despite all
frightening stories we hear on the news, keep in mind that the vast majority of
missing-child cases have happy endings.
About Marc Courtiol: Marc Courtiol is an accomplished health
researcher in the field of natural wellness. A graduate from Cornell, Marc is a
contributing author for several online journal
sites and believes in the many uses of gripe water.
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