Do you recall the first time you came across a posting of a missing child? In the past, families and local communities depended on grassroots efforts including: local newspaper articles, printed posters displayed in post offices and store windows, photos of missing children on milk cartons, or late-night advertisements on television. Today, missing children alerts are broadcasted real-time through geo-located text messages, internet and social media channels, highway sign boards, and Amber Alerts.
Some of us may have experienced a missing family member, friend, neighbor, or loved one, or we may remember a time we thought about running away from home or had a conversation with a friend planning to run away from home. Regardless of the reasons, circumstances and responses surrounding children missing from care, we know that risks for exploitation increase when any child is disconnected from their communities and these risks increase the longer the child is missing.
In 2020, 4,831 children and youth—roughly 1% of all children in foster care—were reported missing or on runaway status. Further, a National Center for State Legislatures report in 2023 indicated that 1.5 million children (7% of all youth) run away each year, most often due to family conflicts, abuse or neglect.
As the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) continued to build capacity of communities to improve responses to children missing from care, we held a series of listening sessions in 2024 that brought together service providers, child welfare professionals, and law enforcement agencies to discuss key challenges in addressing these issues.
Read the article to see recommendations made during these sessions.