How to deal the first 24 hours your child went missing
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by: madeline
Court records have filed up tons of cases where parents seek out a child missing or check out kidnappers among the crowd that the community has seen wandering. For this reason, it is important for parents to know what to do incase their kids went missing especially during the first 48 hours.
In the case the child is found to be missing, here's a checklist on what parents should do during the first 24 hours the child went missing.
1. Immediately report your child missing at a local enforcement agency that handling such situation such as US people search. Ask the authorities that will be handling the case to immediately enter your child's name into the National Crime Information center (NCIC) Missing Persons file.
2. Ask the authorities to immediately put out "Be on the Look Out" BOLO Bulletin. Also check if they can get a hold of the FBI to help search for your child.
3. Limit the access to your child's room. Don’t touch or remove anything since they could be valuable to the investigation. The trash may contain letters your child made to people. Even the sheets to his bed should not be removed. Make sure it is only accessible to the police (specifically those who are handling the investigation.
4. Be always on contact with the person holding the case. Have his phone or his email keep it in a safe place. At much as possible make sure that you are aware of whatever it is that's going on with the investigation or any findings to it.
5. Do your share by first giving any important details to the police regarding the child especially on the day he or she disappeared. Make sure that even what your child is wearing is well detailed. There may be information regarding someone they saw wearing exactly that. Make sure to also give any markings that let them identify your child like birthmarks or tattoos.
6. Check out your child's friends. Make a list of their names or any person that may help know your child's whereabouts. Share this also to authorities doing the investigation. Make also a list of people who just moved out or moved in. there are those who may show over interest in your child.
7. Find recent photographs of your child and present this to authorities. Present this in both colored and black and white. Make copies of this picture and give this out to media that can help with the investigation.
8. Call organizations that can help. Check out with those who cater to such need.
9. Assign one person to answer the phone. Make sure to have a pad and pen ready for jotting down anything related to the investigation. Record the number that recently called. This is quite important especially when doing background check on who just called. We may have clues that one of the callers may be the one at fault why your child is missing.
10. Take care of yourself and your family. Your missing child needs you this much therefore you need to take rest to be strong in facing the problem ahead.
About the Author
Madeline is a psychology graduate presently working as a freelance writer and at times handle background check service for a women's magazines. she is also a ghostwriter for a local newspaper and does background check on records search for her uncle's law firm which also helps her with her writing stint.
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