How long should you wait before reporting a missing kid? What to know in California

Thousands of children go missing across the country every year.

More than 60,000 kids in California were reported missing in 2021, according to the state’s Department of Justice. Here’s what parents and guardians can do if they find themselves in such as situation.

Report the missing child

If you notice someone is missing, you should call your local law enforcement as soon as possible.

Police and sheriff’s departments in California do not require a specific waiting period before reporting a missing person, according to the office of the attorney general.

A missing person is someone whose whereabouts are unknown to the person making the report. This includes children who have run away or were kidnapped.

If you’re in Sacramento, you can start a missing persons report by calling the non-emergency dispatch at 916-808-5471.

Next steps

After reporting to your local law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a non-profit organization that helps find missing children.

The organization has a reference guide on steps parents or guardians can take if their loved one is missing. It includes:

• Search your home for places your child can crawl, hide or sleep in. This includes piles of clothes, closets, under beds and inside large appliances
• Tell law enforcement the time, date and location where your child was last seen and names of the person or people they were last with
• Secure the child’s room and belongings so law enforcement can conduct a search
• Secure any devices your kid uses but don’t search through them yourself. Instead, ask law enforcement to look at their online activity for clues
• Tell law enforcement about your child’s health conditions, recent behavior changes or if there’s been someone who’s shown recent interest or attention to your child, if applicable
• Contact local missing children organizations, such as the Missing Children Clearinghouse or the National Runaway Safeline.

Do all missing cases get an Amber Alert?

Only specific missing person cases get an Amber Alert.

An Amber Alert is an emergency response alert that notifies the public of an abducted child.

Andra Stockwell, California Highway Patrol Sergeant for the Valley Division, said the reports have to meet certain criteria to get an Amber Alert.

This includes:

• A confirmation that an abduction occurred or the child was taken by someone, including, a custodial parent or guardian
• Child is 17 years of age or younger, or is someone with a confirmed mental or physical disability
• Person is in danger of bodily injury or death
• Information is available and can help in the recovery of the victim if shared widely

Stockwell said if a case does not qualify for an Amber Alert, law enforcement may issue an Endangered Missing Advisory.

According to the CHP website, EMA criterias include:

• The person is missing due to unexplained or suspicious circumstances
• The person is believed to be in danger because of their age, health, mental or physical disability, or the environment or weather conditions; they are in the company of a potentially dangerous person; or there are other factors that may put the person in danger
• Sharing information to the public could allow for the safe recovery of the missing person

Stockwell said an EMA generally includes critical reach fliers, “Be-on-the-look-out” broadcasts and notification to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Stay prepared

Keep recent photos of your child and have them finger printed, Stockwell said.

She said you can contact your local law enforcement agency for fingerprint services or order an at-home kit from the National Child Identification program. That way, if your child does go missing, you can provide these materials to the agency investigating your case.

This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 1:41 PM with the headline "How long should you wait before reporting a missing kid? What to know in California."