1. STAY CALM. Contact neighbours, friends, spouse, siblings and anyone who may know where your child may be. Invite a friend or acquaintance with a "calm" manner to be with you.

2. Conduct a telephone search. Call family, friends and relatives who may wish to help. Encourage them to use their telephones to make inquiry calls so your line will remian free for incoming calls. If you have to leave the house, have an answering machine on the line or have a friend or neighbour take incoming calls.

3. Have friends and relatives conduct a basic land search of the neighbourhood area while you are making a police occurence report. With family and firends, try to recall the present and past few days of family situations and activities (a recent argument or discipinary action could be the reason for hiding).

4. File a missing child report, if the telephone and land search has not been successful. This report is important as it allows the police to place a description of the child who is missing on the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) computer system so all police forces in Canada will know the child is missing. At the request of the investigating police officer, the child may also be entered on the United States system (NCIC).
Depending on your geographical location, the police may wich to notify border crossing and ferry-rail-airport facilities.

If you suspect parental or non-stranger abduction, provide the police with a photo of the suspected abductor, an address, telephone number and any other pertinent informatin about that person.

5. Provide the police with the information in your prepared Identification Kit. This kit should include updates clear photographs, foot and fingerprints, birth certificate, medical history, passport, dental records, X-rays, child's name and description including location of scars, birthmarks and any other identifiable data (glasses, braces, earrings, ect.). A videotape or a recent home video of the child may be made specifically for the kit.
Try to keep a mental note of what your child is wearing each day.

6. Conduct a complete physical search of your area. Organize a search party of friends and relatives to search areas such as, child's route home from school, community centre, friends house, favourite hang-out ect. Be on the look out for articles of clothing, toys, books other personal belongings scattered on the ground. If found, do not disturb. Contact a police officer immediately.

7. Leave someone at home at all times to answer the telephone in case your child calls.

8. Continue to keep the telephone lines FREE at all times.

9. Contact your provincial searching agency and register the missing child. Searching agencies will provide support and give you suggestions regarding steps that can be taken to assist in the search of your child.

10. Act quicly. This is very important. Try to keep focused on the task at hand, that is, locating the missing child. Ask a suitable friend to provide support for you. Each moment that passes is very important and must be used efficiently.

11. Continue your search even if there are no immediate results. Follow up for updates on the case by contacting the investigating police officer and the provincial searching agency who registered your child.

12. Solicit media support such as radio, television, local publications and newspapers only at the advice of the police and searching agency involved with the case. If you solicit the services of a searching agency the telephone service provided will screen and evaluate calls. It is not advisable to leave or publicize your home or work number or address. Calls and mail can mislead investigations and can be very upsetting to the searching family.

13. Distribute a photograph of the missing child. All police and searching agencies have services available to complete this task. It is important to work cooperatively and keep the agencies searching for your child well informed of your personal searching procedures. If you wish to use other agencies check their credibility thoroughly before providing them with information.

14. Keep a detailed diary of people and agencies you have contacted and steps you have already taken. Logging the events lessens the duplication of efforts and allows a review od inquiries.

The above mentioned steps are contained in a brochure published by the Missing Children's Registry and Community and Aboriginal Policing Directorate. For copies of this brochure contact the Missing Children's Registry at (613)993-1525.

The Registry wishes to express it's gratitude to the searching agencies whose contributions assisted in the final draft.