Missing Children
Prevention and Reporting
Informational Materials
Dear Knox County Career Center Families,
The Knox County Career Center is committed to ensuring the safety and security of your children. It is important to raise awareness of the possible risks your children face daily and how to prevent a potential crisis situation. Below, we have provided several of the most up to date and useful resources to assist in the prevention and reporting of missing children.
May 25 is National Missing Children's Day and last year the FBI received over 400,000 reports of missing children. The attached notice advises families how to prevent child abduction and kidnapping and what to do if they suspect their child is missing.
How to Prevent Child Abduction, Kidnapping and Missing Children
1. Monitor your child’s use of electronics, cellphones, gaming, computers
2. Monitor your child’s online activity including social media accounts, who they are ‘friending,’ ‘following,’ and ‘chatting’
3. Track your child’s location on their cell phone
4. Enable safety devices or parental controls
5. Enhance privacy settings on social media sites, limiting access by preventing ‘public’ viewing
6. Communicate with your child and keep the line of communication open regarding the safety and security of their personal information
7. Save your child’s fingerprints and current photo for easy access, update this yearly. Obtain your free kit at: https://www.childsafekit.com
What to do if your child is missing?
If you believe your child is missing, do not wait to report you must act immediately.
1. Immediately call your local law enforcement agency.
2. Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-the-lost (1-800-843-5678)
If your child is missing from home, search:
o Closets
o Piles of laundry
o Inside large appliances
o Inside of vehicles, including trunks
o Anywhere your child may crawl or hide
If your child is missing from a store:
o Notify the store manager or security officer, many stores have a Code Adam plan of action in place
o Immediately call local law enforcement and provide them with the following:
§ Child’s name
§ Date of birth
§ Height
§ Weight
§ Description of any other unique identifiers, such as eyeglasses, braces, or visible birth marks
§ When you noticed your child was missing
§ Request your child’s name and identifying information be entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center for Missing Persons File.
Quick Links and Resources
Missing Persons Checklist/Reporting a Missing Person
https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Local-Law-Enforcement/Ohio-Missing-Persons/Missing-Person-Resources/Missing-persons-Checklist
Submit a Law Enforcement Tip
https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Victims/Submit-a-Tip/Missing-Persons-Leads.aspx
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com/home
Ohio Alerts Guidebook
https://servicesq.dps.ohio.gov/AmberAlert/Downloads/Ohio%20Alerts%20Guidebook%20-%20Revised%201-31-17.pdf
Child Fingerprint Kit – FREE
https://www.childsafekit.com