Missing Child Program

logo

Missing Child Program Information for Parents

STATISTICS

The clearinghouse documented 19,014 people missing in 2021 – 2,506 fewer than the year before. Of those, 14,027 were reports of missing children – 7,521 females, 6,504 males, and two cases where the sex was unknown. Authorities reported that 97% – a total of 13,606 children – were recovered safely by year’s end. Open-source data revealed that six children reported missing were found deceased in 2021. The report details all missing person entries for which circumstances were specified:

8,366 cases involved a runaway, where a child left a home without permission and stays away overnight.
51 cases involved abduction from a noncustodial parent, where a parent, other family member or another person acting on behalf of a parent keeps or conceals a child depriving another individual of custody or visitation rights.
11 cases involved abduction by a stranger.
214 cases involved missing adults between the ages of 18 and 21.
The complete report can be accessed at Ohio Attorney General’s website: 2021-Missing-Children-Clearinghouse.aspx (ohioattorneygeneral.gov)

REPORTING MISSING CHILDREN IN OHIO

In 2011, the Ohio Missing Persons Unit (MPU) was relocated to better coordinate and convey information about services related to missing children and adults.
The MPU has a toll-free hotline, 800-325-5604, to field calls from law enforcement, parents, community members, and the media. The hotline is answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The MPU‟s website, www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/MissingPersons is also available to provide visibility for missing person cases and as a central location for families and the public seeking resources and guidance

REPORTING MISSING CHILDREN TO YOUR SCHOOL

Under State’s “Missing Child Law”, parents or guardians must notify the school by the morning of any school day their child is not attending.