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Missing Children: What to Do Immediately in the United States

If you believe a child is missing in the United States, report it to local law enforcement immediately, then contact NCMEC. Here are the details to provide and the separate steps for missing-from-care cases.
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If you believe a child is missing in the United States, act immediately: call local law enforcement, then call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Do not wait to see whether the child returns. NCMEC’s guidance is U.S.-specific; outside the United States, contact your local emergency service or national hotline.

What should you do first if a child is missing?

NCMEC’s “Is Your Child Missing?” guidance says, “Act immediately if you believe your child is missing.” Call local law enforcement first. After making that report, call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). These are separate steps: contacting NCMEC does not replace reporting to law enforcement.

  • If the child was last seen at home: While arranging help, check plausible hiding places such as closets, laundry piles, in or under beds, large appliances and vehicles, including trunks.
  • If the child cannot be found in a store: Notify the manager or security office and immediately call local law enforcement. Many stores have a Code Adam plan.
  • If it is an emergency: Dial 911. NCMEC lists its call center as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; its number is 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). See NCMEC’s contact page.

What information should you give the police?

Share what you know, even if some details are uncertain. Useful identifying information includes:

  • The child’s full name and date of birth.
  • Height, weight and distinguishing features or identifiers, such as glasses or braces.
  • When you noticed the child was missing, where they were last seen, and what they were wearing.
  • Any circumstances or immediate safety concerns that may help investigators assess the situation.

Ask law enforcement to enter the child’s identifying information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File. NCMEC’s “Children Missing From Care” guidance states in that context: “There is no waiting period for law enforcement to take a report and enter the child into the NCIC system.”

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What happens when you contact NCMEC?

After a report, NCMEC records case information and assigns a case-management team to work with the family and investigating law-enforcement agency. Depending on the case, its support can include:

  • Technical assistance tailored to the circumstances.
  • Creating and distributing missing-child posters.
  • Reviewing leads and forwarding them to investigators.
  • Coordinating with federal agencies when appropriate.
  • Peer support from trained volunteers with family experience, and referrals for emotional or counseling needs.

These services support the investigation and family; the initial law-enforcement report remains a distinct step.

What if a child is missing from foster care or another care setting?

NCMEC describes reporting children missing from care as a legal requirement for state agencies as well as a best practice. The agency should use both reporting channels: first contact local law enforcement, file a missing-child report and request NCIC entry; then make a separate report to NCMEC. A police report and NCIC entry do not automatically create an NCMEC report.

When making the NCMEC report, prepare the child’s identifying details, a photo if available, the date and location last seen, the circumstances and any endangerments, guardian contact information, and the law-enforcement agency and report number. NCMEC’s “Children Missing From Care” page also discusses missing young adults aged 18–20 in certain state or county guardianship circumstances. Whether a young adult qualifies depends on their status and applicable state policy; this does not apply automatically to every person in that age range.

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What do NCMEC’s missing-child figures mean?

NCMEC’s 2025 Impact Report describes its own casework and reports, not a census of every missing child in the United States. For 2025, NCMEC reported:

  • 32,167 missing-child cases supported and 29,013 resolved; NCMEC reported a 90% resolution rate for those supported cases.
  • 92% of its missing-child cases involved children who had run away. NCMEC says these children face elevated risks and treats every case as involving a child in danger.
  • 23,348 reports of children missing from foster care. Among children missing from care who were reported to NCMEC in 2025, 17% were identified as likely victims of child sex trafficking.

The foster-care figures describe reports to NCMEC, not every child nationally. NCMEC also says a rise in Texas reports in 2025 was driven by a new state law requiring reports to NCMEC within two hours after a child was reported missing to Texas law enforcement. That reporting change means the increase in Texas reports is not, by itself, proof that more children went missing.

NCMEC’s data and reports library provides further analyses and context for its published figures.

What should you do outside the United States?

The steps above reflect NCMEC’s U.S. guidance, not a universal reporting procedure. If you are elsewhere, contact your country’s national missing-children hotline or local emergency services. Use the appropriate local process rather than relying on a U.S. number or assuming that another country follows the same reporting rules.

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