The following information is provided by the HEIDI SEARCH CENTER 
2402 Pat Booker Rd. Universal City, TX 78148-3210.
1-800-880-3463 or 210-659-0338

    What To Do If Your Child is Missing
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Step 1:
  -  Search play areas and hiding places in the house, in the yard and around 
     the neighborhood. Also, check vacant houses and buildings, empty cars or 
     trucks, and ditches/drainage pipes. Remember, older children have a much 
     larger range of movement than younger ones.
    
  -  Check with neighbors, friends, extended family, and your child's friends.

  -  Determine if personal clothes or belongings are missing which would 
     indicate a runaway child.  Look for a note or letter.


Step 2:
  -  If you believe your child is actually lost or abducted:
  
  - -  Remember speed is VERY important.
  
  - - Jot down a description of the child, what he/she was wearing when last 
      seen and where he/she was last seen as well as the time and by whom.  
  
  - - Additionally, the childs vital statistics will be needed(height/weight,
      age, sex, color of hair & eyes, distinguishing marks, jewellery and 
      other items carried, etc.)
  
  - - Contact law enforcement officials and cooperate fully with them.  
      Current photographs are VERY important. Descriptions of the local area, 
      as well as the name of the school attended, places where the child 
      plays and names of friends are extremely useful.
  - - Keep the case number assigned by the law enforcement officials.
  
    - For further assistance you may call: in USA
      
      HEIDI SEARCH CENTER (210-656-5665 or 1-800-880-3463) if there is not 
      a similar organization in your area. 
      or:
      National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-843-5678)
                                         
                                         : in CANADA
      
      Missing Children Society of Canada (1-800-661-6160)
      Child Find Canada (1-800-307-7962)
      or:
      National Missing Childrens Registry (1-613-993-1525)


Step 3:
  - If you organize friends and neighbors to help you search, remember:

  - - Try to stay calm. You can help the child most if you are thinking 
      clearly.
  - - Search the closest areas first, keep track of where you search, work in 
      teams of at least two people. If you find some evidence; 
        > DO NOT DISTURB IT <  Mark the area and call the authorities.

   
   
   I hope SysOps will make this information available to their users in a 
   file and that you never need this information...

                                  Marv Cotton, SysOp HEIDI SEARCH CENTER BBS.
   
   
   
 - Edited by:
   
   Timothy O'Brien
   SysOp: HOBO OUTPOST - 'Replace Hope With Reality' 
   Vancouver BC Canada
   BBS: [604-739-7475]
   Fidonet: (1:153/7097)