Procedures and Information for Missing Juveniles and Runaways

When a juvenile is reported missing or has been classified as a runaway, your local law enforcement agency should enter the child's name in the National Crime Information Computer (NCIC). You can verify this has been done by calling your state clearinghouse. You may also register your child with them at this time.

Individual Posters - should be made and distributed throughout the area where the child was last seen as well as where he or she may have gone, if you have some indication of that. Also, the Center can supply you with addresses of truck stops and shelters.

National Hotlines

Runaway Hotline - 1-800-231-6946
National Runaway Switchboard - 1-800-621-4000
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - 1-800-843-5678
Vanished Children's Alliance - 1-800-826-4743

Maintaining Information - Keep in touch with your child's friends and take notes of your conversation including dates, places, etc. This may be of assistance to you at a later date.

Pick up orders - Since laws vary from state to state, check with your Juvenile Court Division for assistance in having a pick up order issued for your child.

Operation Home Free - Trailways Bus Lines offers free transportation home for runaways called "Operation Home Free." The child must contact a law enforcement officer who will verify the child is a missing person by checking the NCIC. He will notify the parents, escort the child to the bus station and sign a voucher for a free ride home.

Collect Calls - can be traced immediately if you ask for "Time and Charges" when the operator asks you to accept the call. When the call is completed, the operator will call you back and tell you what your time and charges are. At that point, ask the operator for the city, state and telephone number of the call. Give this information to your law enforcement agency. Also, notify the missing children agencies you have registered with so they may focus the photograph exposure to that area.

Social Security Administration - has adopted a program to assist individuals trying to locate missing children who are 16 years of age or older. The SSA will attempt to forward a letter to the missing person through his/her last known employer. This process will be treated with complete confidentiality. No information will be released regarding the missing child's whereabouts. The program works like this:

Enclose a letter for the missing child along with a brief letter of explanation and mail them to Social Security Administration, Office of Central Records Operations, Room 1312 Metro Tower, 300 North Green Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

The letter intended for the missing child should be in a plain, unsealed envelope bearing his/her name and social security number. If the SSN for the child is not known, information such as the persons date and place of birth, father's name and mother's maiden name should be included. The SSA will then try to determine the last known employer of the child and forward the letter to the employer's address if available.

There is a $3.00 fee for each letter handled. Payment should be in the form of a postal money order of cashier's check and be made payable to the Social Security Administration.