| an't believe it's happened, but it has. Your spouse has | | | | - Contact Your Local Police: Immediately contact your |
| ran away with your kids and you have absolutely no | | | | local police department and tell them your child/children |
| idea where they are, or when, or if, they're ever | | | | are missing and you need to file a report, and then be |
| coming back. While your first instinct, naturally, will be to | | | | sure to record the name and badge number of any |
| panic, it's important to keep a clear head while | | | | officers you deal with. Hopefully, you will have already |
| contacting the right people and staying calm and | | | | had your children fingerprinted before and they will |
| organized, as in most all cases, a parent will not harm | | | | have a record of that on file to refer to. |
| their own child. | | | | If your children are under the age of 17, the police will |
| First, gather as many family members and friends as | | | | issue an AMBER Alert, which is sent out all across the |
| you have for support, and for help, as there most | | | | country, usually on a local level first, alerting both |
| certainly may be times when you aren't up to talking or | | | | private citizens and other law enforcement officials |
| rehashing the same details over and over again. You'll | | | | that a child is missing via both television and radio. If |
| also need help manning the phones, taking care of the | | | | you or the police feel your spouse has crossed either |
| house, and getting the word spread quickly, calling | | | | state or international lines, the FBI (Federal Bureau of |
| other people who may be able to help, and putting up | | | | Investigations) may also need to be involved to help |
| flyers to alert everyone in the neighborhood or | | | | with the case. |
| wherever you suspect they may be heading. | | | | - Missing Children's Organizations: Having the support |
| - What You Will Need: You will want to have any | | | | of as many organizations who specialize in kidnappings |
| court orders, custody papers or official paperwork | | | | and missing children is so important. Contact the |
| related to your divorce or the children. Also, be sure to | | | | National Center for Missing and Exploited Children |
| have a recent photo of your child, two if possible, one | | | | (NCMEC) toll-free at 1-800-THE-LOST as well as Child |
| full length and the other just a face-shot, perhaps a | | | | Find at 1-800-I-AM-LOST. |
| school picture, to give to the authorities. Plan on | | | | You may also want to use a notebook and folder to |
| needing several copies of these pictures to hand out | | | | keep all of the information you've gathered in one |
| to both the police and those who are helping with the | | | | place and readily accessible should you need to refer |
| search. | | | | to something. It also helps to keep a chronological |
| When you contact the police, they will also want a full | | | | record of events as they happen because you won't |
| description including weight, height, what they may | | | | be able to rely on your memory during such a stressful |
| have been wearing, hair and eye color, and if they | | | | time. |
| have any scars or distinguishing marks. | | | | |