Children are totally dependent upon us to protect them and keep them safe. The thought of losing a child strikes fear into the heart of a parent.
It is important to have a plan of action in place in case the unthinkable ever happens. Children are as fast as lightening and they can be off on an adventure before you know it. Should your child disappear, massive and speedy action will be crucial. Critical steps must be taken immediately to start the process of finding the missing child.
The first step is to contact your local law enforcement. Next register your child with these clearing houses: Child Protection Education of America: 1-866-USA-CHILD and National Center of Missing and Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678. Write down every detail you can remember as soon as you can to give to the authorities. Distribute posters, send out emails and arrange search groups.
As the search stretches from hours to days it is important to surround yourself with a support system. You will need to know people not only care but they understand your state of mind. There are support groups like Team HOPE (Help Offering Parents Empowerment) who offer peer support, resources and empowerment from trained volunteers. These volunteers know exactly how you feel because they have lived with or are currently living with the pain of a child gone missing.
If you go to http://www.clamb.org/misorgs.htm you will find a list of organizations that are in the business of searching for lost children and reuniting them to their families.
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