
Do you recall the first time you came across a posting of a missing child? In the past, families and local communities depended on grassroots efforts including: local newspaper articles, printed posters displayed in post offices and store windows, photos of missing children on milk cartons, or late-night advertisements on television. Today, missing children alerts are broadcasted real-time through geo-located text messages, internet and social media channels, highway sign boards, and Amber Alerts.
Some of us may have experienced a missing family member, friend, neighbor, or loved one, or we may remember a time we thought about running away from home or had a conversation with a friend planning to run away from home. Regardless of the reasons, circumstances and responses surrounding children missing from care, we know that risks for exploitation increase when any child is disconnected from their communities and these risks increase the longer the child is missing.
In 2020, 4,831 children and youth—roughly 1% of all children in foster care—were reported missing or on runaway status.i Further, a National Center for State Legislatures report in 2023 indicated that 1.5 million children (7% of all youth) run away each year, most often due to family conflicts, abuse or neglect.
As the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) continued to build capacity of communities to improve responses to children missing from care, we held a series of listening sessions in 2024 that brought together service providers, child welfare professionals, and law enforcement agencies to discuss key challenges in addressing these issues. Below we highlighted some of the topics discussed, and recommendations made during these sessions.
Defining “Missing” and Addressing Gaps in Service
While we often use the terms “missing” and “runaway” interchangeably, the words describing a child’s situation can lead to significant differences in response. Listening session participants noted that the term “runaway” can downplay the severity of a situation. The term is often associated with a child voluntarily leaving home, which may suggest to law enforcement and the public the case is less urgent than a “missing” child whose disappearance is potentially involuntary. Labeling a child as a “runaway” can lead to delayed or insufficient responses while framing the child as “missing” encourages a quicker, more thorough, and trauma-informed response.
Determining when a child is officially considered missing is often complicated, especially when they leave care due to safety concerns or unmet needs. Children in care may leave without permission, and such departures increase their risk to trafficking and exploitation. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) defines a missing child as a person under 18 years old whose whereabouts are unknown to their legal guardian. Children fleeing from abusive home conditions, unaccompanied children, or individuals older than 18 years with cognitive delays may fall through the cracks of national response systems. There may also be a difference in state and tribal definitions of missing, where missing status may depend on the organization or entity required to report the child as missing (e.g., parent or legal guardian, law enforcement).
The lack of uniformity in the definition of “missing” across systems and jurisdictions—especially for Native youth—results in confusion who reports, where to report, and who responds, leading to delays that leave children vulnerable. Listening session participants noted that challenges related to response times often leave families and loved ones feeling like they are alone in searching for the missing child. They called for an “all hands on deck” approach that it is the responsibility of all systems (e.g., law enforcement, child welfare, local communities) to coordinate an active search for a missing child.
The Impact of Human Trafficking on Missing Youth
The intersection of missing children and human trafficking was another pressing issue. Children who are repeatedly missing from care are at higher risk of being trafficked, particularly those already exposed to violence, abuse, or unstable living conditions. Traffickers frequently target youth who are isolated, vulnerable, and often not receiving the care they need—making it crucial to address systemic gaps that increase these vulnerabilities.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), one-in-six of the more than 28,800 cases of children reported missing in 2023 were likely victims of child sex trafficking. NCMEC also reported that 19% of the children missing from child welfare were likely victims of child sex trafficking.
The increased presence of children and youth online has increased the reach of exploitation schemes across social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms. NCMEC reported that the number of online enticement reports (communicating with a child with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction) increased by more than 300% between 2021 and 2023. There were more than 456,000 reports of online enticement received in 2024.
Native and Indigenous youth are especially vulnerable to trafficking. A 2023 report from the Not Invisible Act Commission (PDF) noted a disproportionate number of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous people, underscoring the need for culturally competent services, trauma-informed care, and multigenerational healing approaches. Many listening session participants echoed this concern, highlighting how trafficking disproportionately affects Native youth, particularly those living near or on reservations.
Collaboration Across Sectors and Jurisdictions
Effective responses to children who are missing and have experienced human trafficking require strong collaboration between child welfare, law enforcement, and community organizations; however, participants in listening sessions emphasized that these sectors often operate in silos, slowing response times and complicating service delivery.
Jurisdictional issues, particularly challenging in states with large Native populations, present additional challenges. Information sharing and coordination with tribal authorities can be difficult, leaving gaps in services and increasing the risk for Native youth. Strengthening communication, establishing clearer reporting protocols, and enhancing cross-sector collaboration are essential for timely and effective interventions.
One promising practice discussed was the use of multidisciplinary teams, which bring together child welfare workers, law enforcement, and service providers to ensure coordinated, swift action when a child goes missing.
Elevating Youth Voice and Empowering Families
A recurring theme throughout the sessions was the importance of involving children and youth in decisions about their care and safety. Empowering youth to take an active role in these decisions helps build trust and supports their ability to shape their own futures. Ensuring that youth feel heard, respected, and valued is critical in both preventing and addressing the risks they face. Youth perspective can also inform prevention and efforts to raise awareness about the resources available when a young person is in crisis or how to identify exploitative schemes online and offline.
Participants also emphasized family- and community-based approaches during the listening sessions. While professional services are necessary, the support of family and community networks is crucial for providing the stability and protection at-risk youth need. This is particularly true in Indigenous communities, where connections to family and tribe are integral to a child’s identity and well-being. Caregivers noted a lack of resources for families on how best to support a child when reintegrating after a missing period, particularly if the child experienced exploitation. They requested support for the child, caregiver, and other family members in the household (e.g., siblings). They noted challenges in reintegration into family and broader community settings due to judgment, shame, and lack of trauma-informed communication and responses. Listening session participants also noted needs for alternative placement options with a chosen family or other trusted individual(s) when return to the biological or legal guardian was unsafe.
Recommendations and Next Steps
The listening sessions resulted in several key recommendations from diverse perspectives to improve responses to missing children and youth at risk of trafficking:
- Clarify Definitions: Standardize definitions of “missing” across child welfare, law enforcement, and related systems to ensure quicker, more coordinated responses.
- Expand Training and Resources: Provide more training for child welfare professionals, law enforcement, and service providers, focusing on human trafficking, culturally competent care, and the specific needs of Native youth.
- Strengthen Cross-Sector Collaboration: Break down silos, and enhance cooperation among child welfare agencies, law enforcement, and tribal authorities to ensure timely interventions.
- Increase Funding for Peer Navigators: Allocate more resources to peer navigators and anti-trafficking programs, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities.
- Expand Shelters and Resources: Increase the availability of shelters and other resources, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
ACF is committed to supporting these recommendations through continued partnerships with state, tribal, and local governments, as well as service providers. We will continue to offer technical assistance, training, and resources to ensure that children and youth at risk of going missing or who have experienced trafficking receive the care and protection they need.
By improving collaboration and focusing on the unique needs of populations that are vulnerable to human trafficking, the United States can build a more responsive and effective system to safeguard children and youth from trafficking and exploitation. These efforts will require sustained action and resources from all levels of government, service providers, and faith-based and community organizations to create meaningful, lasting change.
Learn More
For more information on ACF’s work in this area and available resources, visit ACF's Office on Trafficking in Persons.
Reporting and Connection to Resources
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 24/7 support for locating and assisting missing children
- National Human Trafficking Hotline: 24/7 support, resources, and assistance to people who experience trafficking, as well as those looking to report or prevent trafficking, through a toll-free hotline, online chat, and text messaging
- National Runaway Safeline: 24/7 support for youth at risk of running away or experiencing homelessness through a toll-free hotline, online chat, and text messaging
- Office of Refugee Resettlement National Call Center: 24/7 support and resources for foreign national children
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: 24/7 confidential and anonymous support and advocacy to Native American and Alaska Natives impacted by domestic and sexual violence
Training and Technical Assistance Resources
- Toolkit: Responding to Human Trafficking through the Child Welfare System
- Information Memo: Responding to Human Trafficking among Children and Youth in Foster Care and Missing from Foster Care (PDF)
- Microlearning: Human Trafficking Screening for Child Welfare Professionals
- Microlearning: Safety Planning and Multidisciplinary Response for Child Welfare Professionals
- Training: Responding to Human Trafficking Through the Child Welfare System