If your family or friends do not know where you are, you might be described as ‘missing’.
How can young people go missing?
There are many different ways in which a child or young person can go missing. They might run away from home, or they might be taken away by a parent or a stranger.
In Ireland, most people who go missing run away from home. It is unusual for a young person to be taken in Ireland.
How might young people who go missing feel?
Young people who go missing might experience many different emotions, including:
- Sad
- Alone
- Scared or worried
- Let down by adults
National Missing Children's Hotline
The National Missing Children’s Hotline is available 24 hours a day, by calling 116 000.
You might want to ring the Hotline if:
- You are thinking of running away
- You are known as 'missing', you feel you cannot go home and you have no-one to talk to
- You have arrived in Ireland and are separated from your parents
- You have information about another young person who is missing
- A loved one is missing
Check these out too:
What it’s really like to live in Foster Care
There are many misconceptions of what it's like to live in foster care. Here is a young person's account of what it's really like.
Living in care
A child or young person who is living away from their parents and cared for by other people is living in care.