written and copyright by, Cynthia Caron, Founder of LostNMissing Inc
Permission to distribute and embed, only. No alterations of content.

Published, November 25, 2012 ; Revised, January 20, 2013; Revised  March 4, 2014

Guidance when a loved one goes missing:

Families of missing are under extreme duress and many times will reach out to anyone and every one who can assist them. Not all they reach will aid in their plight. Unfortunately there are those who may take advantage of the family’s vulnerability and/or cause and create havoc with a loved one’s case.  When having an unprofessional linked to your family, it will alienate you from the police and your assigned investigators.  Not every creative name online is skilled to assist.

Why you cannot “tell all”

We all know the media can report a missing person case and provide “facts” and information that is not accurate. Many times you will be prohibited from being allowed to explain. Why? Because sometimes those facts reported were not correct and were not supposed to be reported even if factual! Law enforcement will guide you as to what you can say and cannot say. This is a hard burden on you, the family, because it is known that many folks will demand they have a right to know, will say “if you want help, you would be truthful” and / or will even go so far as to say or implicate you or your family for causing the disappearance. We ask our families to hold strong, be brave…to not read nor respond to those who want to create malicious havoc. Some may have good intentions, however, any public person with good intentions should understand that if you state that you are “not allowed to talk about specifics”… or clarify mis-reporting, than they should understand there is a reason behind and more than probably it is guidance by law enforcement.

When asking the public to help, you’re not asking them to be a detective!

When asking the public to help, you are asking them to please share your loved one’s missing poster to keep their eyes and ears open and report all findings direct to law enforcement. You are not asking them to investigate nor become detectives, even if they have background in criminal justice studies (I see so many say this online that I cringe!) Because one may have studies does NOT make them qualified to lead or guide you. Please let those with authority be your guide. Utilize reputable and experienced organizations that have accountability. (read more below)

Should you set up a Tip Line?

We always say no! Never in a new missing persons case! Why? Because law enforcement (LE) has the abilities to trace, tape and take tips/leads and the ability to sort (by priority) as to which of those leads/tips could lead to your missing family member. Time is of the essence.  Let me be very clear on this and many other organizations may not want to hear us state this…but it is our belief: No organization should ever set up a tip line to take leads on your missing loved one. Ever in a new missing persons case!   Yes, this is our policy at LNM and while we know other organizations may do this…we do not know if perhaps the tip line they are setting up is direct to law enforcement.  However, with that said…if it is not a direct tip line to law enforcement there could be potential alienation from law enforcement with your family. They will not talk as openly with you. They will not give you the most recent activities or keep you as well informed as you would like, and should be given. The reason is simple. A missing person’s  case is a POTENTIAL criminal investigation. No person(s) outside of law enforcement should deem themselves at the same level as those who have authority and quite honestly the majority of all detectives with law enforcement will tell you that should you discuss the case with outside people (whether an organization, online groups, advocates or otherwise) and give them the power to “investigate”…they will more than probably close off all communications with you. That is very difficult for a family to have happen. It puts them in “the dark.” The only time we believe otherwise is when a case has become “unsolved” or a “cold case.” Once it falls into that “category” there should be no question that you may wish to hire a private investigator and set up tip lines. (Unsolved, in our eyes, is usually when a missing loved one has been gone three years or longer.)

Should you  hire a Private Investigator?

As in the “tip line” explanation above, we believe that a case should always be managed by law enforcement…with the exception of:

1. Law enforcement may possibly be involved in the disappearance of your missing loved one. (Extremely rare..but has happened. In that case you may wish to hire an outside investigator.)
2. The case has gone unsolved (usually 2 years or longer deems a case “unsolved.”)
3. Law enforcement tells you they do not have enough resources to make your missing loved one a priority

So what next? We always advise that you ask your LE who they recommend that you hire to assist. You want to be sure that if you’re hiring a private investigator that they will have the expertise, professionalism and can work well with your detective assigned so that communications will occur between the two. Many LE have peers who have retired from the force and are now doing private investigative work during their retirement. Those are usually PI’s that the LE assigned to your case are going to support. That is not to say that you cannot hire a PI that has never been part of that force, just be sure the marriage between the two will be a positive one. Again, you do not want to alienate yourself from your LE assigned investigator.  Here are some tips:

1. Always try and obtain the “blessings” of your LE assigned to your missing loved one’s case. As who they may recommend. If they cannot, seek a reputable PI from, a clerk at the police department, a watch commander at the sheriff’s department, a criminal defense lawyer, perhaps even your local FBI can recommend a good PI.

2.  Never hire a PI that you’ve never met in person.

3. Research: Search online or call your state association of private investigators to see if there have been any complaints filed. Ask for references. Ask for stats of cases they’ve solved and how many unsolved.

4. Check: Learn what your state requires. To be sure, you can contact the licensing division of your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs to double check that your possible private investigators are licensed. This is important because should your missing loved one’s case become a criminal matter and involves future court proceedings…is your Investigator capable of appearing in court? Do they have experience with court testimonies?

5. Ask the PI about fees. Immediately after explaining what you want, ask for a quote on how much it will cost. The PI should be able to provide you with an estimate right away. During the process, they should never go over this amount without first consulting with you. You should also remember that your first consultation should be free! If expenses are incurred, make it clear that you will make the necessary arrangements. Example: Don’t accept that you’ll cover hotel fees. What if your PI chooses a 5-star expensive hotel? Instead, make arrangements that you’ll secure a safe and economical hotel. There is nothing wrong with Holiday Inn’s , fact is…they have wonderful beds and great services!

6. Evaluate the private investigator’s personal skills. Beyond being able to effectively communicate with other people, the PI should have a good relationship with you. Take cues from the first visit, and if you don’t feel a good connection, find someone else. You may be sharing private information with this person, and you want to feel comfortable doing so. DO NOT share private information if your gut  tells you this person may not be suited for the job!

Be sure those that you obtain assistance from those that are reputable and accountable.

The first and most important step for the family is to assign someone within the family unit to help “represent” the family. Many times the family is too stressed to want to talk to media in the early days. Be sure it is someone that knows your family well, has excellent communicative skills and will always consult with your family for group decisions prior to engaging the public or others to assist.  We recommend that you always secure the services of a nonprofit, 501c3, agency which always needs to hold accountability for their assistance.  It is ok to also have help of the general public, fact is…they’re needed to help spread awareness… just please, be cautious.

Unfortunately many times there are those who set up “identities that make them look like “official organizations” or ones that have “experience” in working with families of missing. Your first question should always be, Who are you? How may I contact you? Are you an official corporation? What is your tax ID number? What is your email address? – have them send ALL of this information to you in an email BEFORE you give them any information or permission to your cherished missing loved one. Like any other service that will be in your home and lives….obtain references!

I assure you that once your missing loved one’s information hits the social media circuit; many people from “psychics” to “investigators” to “I work with families of missing” will come out of the woodwork. They will contact you to offer help, to build a web page for your missing loved one, or to offer to become an Administrator on your site, etc.

From experience I have found that those who tend to “ambulance chase” families of missing tend to need more help “emotionally” than what a  family of a missing loved one should have to endure. I know that sounds terrible to say but many times those same “helpers” cause more stress and trauma to a family already grieving, fearful and vulnerable.

 —-> It’s sad, it’s difficult but please know that you are vulnerable. Don’t let your vulnerability fall prey to those who want to “break into the industry” by wanting to be your spokesperson or family representative when you do not even know this person. They do not know the best way to help or manage a family of missing and many times have issues in their own personal lives that prevents them from assisting you properly.  Some, unfortunately are looking for monetary gain by either holding events or collecting donations on “behalf of the family.”  With that said,  not all who want to help are categorized as problematic, just because they may not have achieved a 501c3 status or may not be a long term organization. We do know many grassroots organizations that are extremely helpful to families of missing and are always happy to help hang missing posters or share them on social network sites.  Just be sure that those you’ve befriended in your time of need have references and identify themselves publicly and have valid contact information.

Be wary of those that make decisions without your knowledge and those that are not wanting to be held accountable should never interfere by making contact with your detectives or speak as if on your behalf.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen families of missing exploited and problems with their cases as their “spokesperson” makes the comment “I don’t want to be identified for safety reasons.” If that is the case, they have no business working for you. Accountability and responsibility both publicly and personally is key.  If they cannot adhere, they should not be “working with you.” That job should be left to the professionals that you’ve engaged to work for you, the family.

Psychics, Mediums and Astrology:

I am going to stress that families avoid psychics and literally at all costs. All one has to do is go on a Facebook page for a missing loved one and count the numerous times the general public will advise families to “call so and so” that “he/she is really good” and will help find your missing loved one.  Let me put my cards on the table here, no pun intended, but if a Psychic has the ability to find missing John Doe…then by all means, he/she should go out and perform whatever abilities they have…and bring John Doe home. Period. They do not need to consult with families, they do not need family phone numbers and information. Do I believe in psychics? I’m going to be very honest…I believe in God. Because I believe in God I have to believe that he has the ability to give some folks a special gift that many of us may not possess. However, let it be known that very rare cases of missing loved one’s located by a psychic exists. Has it happened? Yes. I’ve experienced one such case.

The case in reference was very unique in that the psychic did not go after vulnerable families and instead felt their “sighting” was so strong and accurate they literally phoned the detective in New Jersey to tell him where they could find an abandoned car of one of our missing adult males and further gave a very detailed description of our missing male which included where he could be found.  The detective phoned me, completely baffled and near out of breath, to tell me of this experience. The woman who phoned him lived in Arizona. Some of what she described to the detective was not public knowledge nor was information that could have been obtained by a “google map street drive.” She had our detective so interested in her accounts that he dispatched a squad car to the location she described (She did not know where the location was, but described all surrounding it.

The detective was able to pin point the location from her description.) Sure enough in the middle of a field was our missing man’s vehicle. Immediately, upon hearing the report back from the officers at the scene, our detective went strait to the location described (2nd location) and found our missing man sitting up against the side of a building in a dazed stupor. He was missing for over a week and was also found in the clothing described by the psychic…yet, had no change of clothing with him and not the clothing he went missing in. It was learned he stole the clothing from a Laundromat. Our detective said in his 28 plus years he has never had a psychic EVER be right on target and with knowledge this woman held. However, and this is what was very important…he asked her if he could keep her number handy to phone her to help with future cases. Do you know what she told him? She explained that he may keep her number handy, however, should he phone her and ask for assistance it would be no different if he pulled a number out of a phone book and asked a stranger. Why? She further explained that her abilities are not “controllable” and should she have a “vision” she will do all possible to contact law enforcement (not families) and will report her visions. She said she is merely providing information that she believes is a gift from God, wants no notoriety, no money, no nothing…except to merely help when and where she may…but that she cannot look at someone or a case and have a vision. She either has it, or she doesn’t.

With that said, I still strongly advise families to please avoid psychics and certainly do not pay one. Should one profess to have the skills or talents (visions or whatever)…merely tell them to use those talents, find your loved one and contact authorities. Pretty good chance they’ll then go away.

DATE OF BIRTH:  Important or Not? Why?

I have to ask why the Department of Justice has the largest investigative agency in the country for Identity Theft, yet they also fund the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and “enable” date of birth to appear? Seems counter-productive. Year of birth is sufficient. The exact date, is not.

Age is important, date of birth is not. You do not want to have your missing loved one become a victim of identity theft. Nor have the investigation be led astray due to identity theft. If “Susie” went missing from Idaho and her identity is stolen and activities is shown in Florida, valuable time is lost hunting down the person using Susie’s identity and unfortunately there have been cases in which detectives will  back off a case as they feel the person may be alive and doesn’t want found. It could be days or weeks before they learn that person was not Susie after all! There have also been cases in which missing loved one’s identities have been misused. Don’t make it easy for identity theft! (Examples: See:  Link 1       Link 2   Link 3

REMINDER:

Law enforcement is not always going to tell you what you can post or cannot post.

Be cautious when posting. You do not want to divulge something which could be very crucial to the case .

(This is especially important in missing cases in which foul play is suspected. )

 Whisper

Do not divulge “sensitive informational updates.” I cannot stress this enough.

• We all know how fast words can fly. We also remember the childhood game of “whisper a phrase” to the first person, by the time it reaches the sixth person…another entire whole new phrase is repeated.
• Do not divulge information. I cannot state this enough.  When learning of new information, no matter how distressing, KEEP that within your inner circle which consists mainly of your spouse, adult children, parents and your reliable organizational case manager; therapist or spiritual advocate. (Priest, Pastor, Rabbi, etc.)  DO not tell your best friend. I know this is so very complicated..but even best friends will tell their spouses who may tell their best friend or golf partner who will in turn tell their best friend or neighbor and things become extremely complicated from that point. While we can only advise, we need you to make the determination in just who you know you can trust. There are those that have best friends that are closer than siblings or parents and that is understandable…just choose who you tell VERY wisely.

Also choose HOW you tell and what you post wisely:

• Let’s take a missing juvenile, as example. What I am telling you is by telling people “he called home” just converted his case in people’s minds from “a missing child who may be under extreme duress of an adult influence” to one of “a teen who at least called home but is staying away on his own desires” and it becomes a family matter case. “No longer a missing child case” in the eyes of the public. So what happens? The public will move on to another case to watch and monitor. You lose your helpers which is your audience. You need the public. They are your strong allies to help spread information that your child is missing and also they are your eyes and ears in numerous places.
• Never post “inside” tips. In other words, do not post that your missing loved one was traced to Houston Texas via cell phone. While I know you want to scream out to all of Houston to look for your child, there is a way that can be done without divulging the information. All you will be doing is teaching your child to now shut off their cell phone or to hide further as you are close to finding him/her. (Yes, they do read the pages. They are curious as to what is going on behind the scenes of them being missing. In nearly 95% of all missing teenager cases that we’ve managed, all teens were monitoring their “missing pages.” What you post can make the difference in the case. A huge difference between finding them and keeping them away.

Is a New Location Always Public Info?

This is most especially important with juvenile runaways. Example, Joey goes missing in Detroit, Michigan. A near positive sighting has been made in Indianapolis.  Again, do not give new details of “the investigation” online.  For one, you don’t want to alert Joey that the case is close to finding him…you could have him run further and deeper in hiding. But what you can do is post “Please share Joey’s info in every major city in the Midwest, he could possibly be headed towards Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis…please share with all major cities!”

The only thoughts the family SHOULD post is:

• Thanks to those who send well wishes and prayers.
• Post your feelings as you want the public to relate to your plight. You want them to help you. You are dependent on them to help you find your child as they are the eyes for you in places you cannot be.
• Post messages direct to your missing. Pleas to contact you. More than probably, if they are ok, they are reading it somewhere.
• ALL Details of one’s private life is not necessary for anyone to find him or her. Remember…you are not seeking private online detectives…you are seeking HELP and AWARENESS from the public. Only details that will aid in the search is important. If your loved one has a history of drug abuse, there is a delicate way to present that information and ways in which it shouldn’t need portrayed. Remember, should your loved one be located safely, you’ll want to protect their reputation.
• Their missing poster is what should be continually posted at least 2-3 times each day so that it flows through the news feeds.

Have a Public Forum…and they will come.

Once rumors and trolls set in…it becomes difficult to manage the pages. The folks that stay at your page are either those that truly want to help and those who want to drive more information from you to delve into your family dynamics to create malicious havoc. (And asking for information that is blatantly none of their business and is not going to find your missing child.)

Invariably what happens it creates a page where rumors come in and problems occur. Stress for you, stress for your monitors. The way to overcome this problem is to have your page monitored and managed by your nonprofit company that is working with you to help locate your child. They have the skill set to know what to post, what not to post and how to encourage the public to look for your child. If a family wishes to manage their own pages, that is fine but please be sure you follow the guidance that is outlined in this article.  To read more about “Trolls” online, please read my article: Maliciously Creating Havoc

Remember working with a nonprofit organization to assist you in finding your missing loved one should not cost you money.  

Nearly all nonprofits that help families of missing do not charge fees. Not even to build websites. There are those that do, however.  Be sure that you have knowledge of this BEFORE you bring them on to your case. Those that are legitimate organizations with outstanding records can be easily checked through charity.gov, or GuideStar.  Be sure they are still active and in good standing.  Those that want to charge you a fee? Be sure to check their Facebook pages, their websites and ask for references. Are they offering free work for you but charging someone else? This is a huge red flag that you could invariably be charged a fee down the road.  Here is good information to read about nonprofits who charge a fee:  Link

Important Do’s and Don’ts and Reminders!

• Having clear photographs of your missing loved one. Most recent photos are advisable.
• Utilizing “natural poses” or “school pictures” are ideal. Photos from Aunt Helen’s wedding is not ideal as your loved one does not look the same in every day settings.
• Try not to ever divulge your loved one’s  health information or medical conditions unless it is specifically needed in order to find them. A missing loved one who is diabetic and needs insulin is a must for life and death purposes, one who is bi-polar or has ADHD does not need to have their diagnosis publicly named. Instead, give descriptions. Example, child may be overly excited or withdrawn. He/she may or may not make eye contact. , etc.
• Never post a photo of who YOU suspect is with your missing loved one, without the consent of the police department AND only if the police department issued a photo media release naming that person as a suspect. You are setting your family up for a potential lawsuit by the “suspect” if you do not adhere to this guideline. This goes the same for suspects that you feel may have contributed to the missing status of a missing adult. If the police have not named them as a suspect publicly and have not issued their photo to the media, you should not either.
• Do ask your nonprofit for “tasks” to help you get through the day and to help you feel that you are contributing to the work of locating your missing loved one.
• Do see your family doctor if you are not able to eat or sleep properly.
• Do ask to see licenses of those who profess to be Private Investigators. There are many who are not licensed and state that they are “certified.” Always research and ask for references.  Bringing an unlicensed investigator to your missing loved ones’ case can cause damage, stress and even legal problems. Our advice is to talk with your police investigator and ask if they have any licensed retired officers from the force that may be doing investigative work.  Be very cautious of  those who approach you on social network sites…especially when they do not provide their state licenses.  There are links to verify if someone is licensed in your state.
• Do not  let anyone set up or arrange for donation funds for your family! We have seen many problems and family lives destroyed due to battling over money and donations. Do be sure if you have a donation fund that it is set up appropriately through your bank with 2 (or more) family members and a bank official to be on the account. Never let a stranger do this for you!
• Always be sure if you choose a  Search and Rescue organization  that they too are qualified and hold the proper certification and your police department honors their work.  If they are professional they will be talking and working with your police department and will arrange searches in accordance to the authorization of your police department and detective assigned.
• Do not borrow medications for anxiety. See your own doctor who knows best.
• Should your missing loved one phone home, do not discipline them. Tell them calmly to please let you know where they are and you will be there to talk. You will help them through with whatever is troubling them. You are their advocate and love them unconditionally. Tell them you understand the pressures they are under and you want to help them to the next step so that they can be home safely.  If it is a minor child, (for example) discuss ways that they can live elsewhere (in the case of a child wanting to live with the other parent or grandparent, etc.) or can help them transfer to another school, (in the case of a child having trouble at present school.)
• Do use caution with psychics, as well.  Many times families will be targeted by many who will make claim that they know where your child is and they can find him/her and cannot. We’ve seen families have 10 different psychics who have given 10 different accounts as to what they “believe” happen to a missing person. We also know of some who have been scammed of a lot of money.
• If a minor, be sure that in addition to having your missing child reported to the police that they are also registered through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-The-Lost.

😥

One of the saddest and most brilliant writing of having a missing family member, told only by one who has experienced such. @andrewdevendorf

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5d67e1a5e4b063c341fc2782/amp

To the Public:

Did you know? 

Families of missing live a daily life of complete despair, confusion and turmoil?

Different from the grieving process one may go through when their loved one passes away of cancer, heart attack or even a car accident.

They live in a state of confusion. Continually. Every second…of every day.

Every time the phone rings, they wonder if “this is the call?”

Did you know they rarely, if ever, sleep at night? They fear if they sleep they will “miss the call.”

Did you know the majority of all immediate family members seek therapy to get through the day and nearly all are prescribed an anti-anxiety medication? That a high rate of those who are grieving have heart palpitations, panic attacks, disorientation, uncontrollable vomiting and or drastic weight loss or gain?

It’s not just about “deep sadness” it’s about the unknown.

It’s about the news saying a body has been found and the family immediately goes into a high stress situation as it could be their missing loved one. That process and wait can take a few days to a few weeks to even a year before they may learn it is or is not their loved and missing family member. Imagine that stress. Think about the time you’ve had to wait for your biopsy or blood test results and how that week’s wait seemed like eternity. Now imagine if you had to wait for “the news” for nearly a year?

Did you know that due to the lack of sleep that while one may seem to be adjusting that their brain, bodily functions and with today’s vast online world…the comments they post (or talk about) are almost always written with confusion, hope, anger, sadness, upset, despair, anxiety, and back to hope again?

Imagine what that does to a person’s persona?

Now add to that…what “appears” is not always what it seems.

Let’s talk about a “good day.” One may appear happy in a public situation but nobody knows the real thoughts that flow nearly continually within their minds. Let me further explain:

• Every five minutes of everyday, in every situation, a family of missing will have a momentary thought of their missing loved one.
• There are 24 hours in a day, and 60 minutes in an hour, which is 1,440 minutes of living each day.
• Divide that by 5 and we have 288 times, each day, one is thinking of their missing loved one and those thoughts are almost always of despair, or helplessness, and other times of very deep pain of missing their loved one.

And that is a good day.

The bad days one can spend rarely going out or in deep pain and hours of crying.

Can you imagine having  to read over and over again the misreporting in the media? Remember…this is not JUST about the missing loved one, but the hearts breaking that are left behind. Does it really matter if the family is dysfunctional, poor, wealthy or has an influential job or career? Is unemployed or disabled? Is tightly knit with siblings or estranged? Do you think the background of a family changes any of the feelings I’ve described? No. It does not change anything. All families, all cultures, all nationalities, all races, all economic backgrounds…all experience the very same pain and turmoil.

Can you imagine the “not knowing?” I cannot.

I know we’ve all seen the terribly sad and painful anguish of those family members who are waiting for news of the missing Malyasian aircraft…to learn the fate of their loved ones.

The painful sounds and screams that we’ve all heard from media that have recorded public gatherings of those who wait. Those are the same sounds, pain and anguish that ALL families of missing endure each and every day.

Now imagine a child who has to wait for the same news of their missing and loved family member?

Further, imagine the wife who is waiting to learn the fate of her missing husband while caring for small children and comforting them…when she herself needs comforted? Or the mother whose adult son is missing and police are not taking it “seriously” as there is the stigma that “an adult has the right to go missing?” Can you imagine the pain she feels when begging through her grief and confusion for help? I cannot.

We want awareness of the loved one missing so that they can be brought home for a proper burial, or brought to help if located safe, so their families can get off the awful rollercoaster-ride-of-hell they’ve been on since the day their loved one disappeared. Ever go on a rollercoaster? Ever feel that smothering fear of your breath taken away and you scream out for them to please “stop the ride” so you can get off?  That is what families of missing feel…every day.

Please be sure you have the permission of the family. While you may want to help in some way, creating a Facebook site for their missing family member may cause the family to feel victimized as well as the pain of feeling as if their missing loved one has been “taken again.” If a family of missing asks you to please remove the page. You do it. Those who refuse to remove pages that families have asked to have removed are usually disruptive, intrusive and we have seen many families suffer with pain from the rumors and theories that run amuck on such pages. Please abide by the family wishes.  The same as you would want if your loved one went missing.

Supporting our work:

 LostNMissing Inc., assists law enforcement and families of missing with missing person’s case numbers assigned
by official law enforcement agencies.  We are an all-volunteer national tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code (the “code”) and qualifies as a public supported organization under Sections, or Categories: P99 (Human Services –
Multipurpose and Other N.E.C.); M99 (Other Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness, and Relief N.E.C.); I01 (Alliance/Advocacy Organizations).
LostNMissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. We assist families nationwide and we never charge a fee for our services.

LostNMissing Inc. is comprised of 100% volunteers and we do not draw a salary, nor get paid. We work very long hours to help our families of missing and we do it without asking for notoriety and without self-promotion.  For us it is about an epidemic of grieving families who need help. For the general public who have an interest and want to support the work we do, we ask that you kindly make a tax deductible donation by clicking our donation tab, or clicking here:

To support our work, please consider a donation here:

 IMPORTANT LINKS:

1.  For more guidance or information, please contact LostNMissing Inc at https://lostnmissing.org  . Email: lostnmissing@comcast.net
2. Media:  email  lostnmissing@Comcast.net or the President directly at : cyndicaron@gmail.com
3. Hopefully you will never experience the loss of a missing loved one or the experience of having a teenager run away from home. However, if you do… or know someone who has… this guide will help you through the upcoming days until your loved one is located safely.  Registration for missing is located here.
4. To register a minor child missing with the NCMEC, click here: http://www.missingkids.com/home
5. If you’re a missing teen and need to find your way home with support and privacy, click here: 1-800-Runaway

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author and policies of LostNMissing Inc.  and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of all organizations that assist in the search for missing loved ones.

written and copyright by, Cynthia Caron, President-Founder of LostNMissing Inc Permission to distribute and embed, only. No alterations of content. Please provide a link to this page should you utilize any portion of this article.

Published, November 25, 2012 ; Revised, January 20, 2013; Revised  March 4, 2014