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:
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.
Different Types of Foster Care
Foster care is the care of children or young people outside of their own home by people other than their parents or legal guardians.