Ky.gov
Effective: 06/14/2023

4.67 Locating Missing Children-Including Runaways

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​As part of Public Law 113-183 “Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act” the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) is required to implement specific protocols for expeditiously locating any child missing from foster care. This not only includes children who may have been abducted, but also children who have run away, sometimes referred to as missing from care. 

Practice Guidance

​

Procedure

The SSW:
  1. Files a missing person's report with law enforcement agency (city, county, or state) for any missing child (including re-committed youth) that is in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS), no later than twelve (12) hours after receiving notification that a child is determined missing; 
  2. Notifies the following agencies about the missing child immediately, but no later twenty-four (24) hours after a child is determined missing: 1

    1. Local law enforcement: ​2

      1. Provide law enforcement any information that could aid in locating the child, at the time of the initial report, and any time new information becomes available; 
      2. Provide a complete physical description of the child; 
      3. Provide a recent photo (if available); 
      4. Provide child’s possible whereabouts, known places or locations the child frequents, and known habits of the child;
      5. Provide endangerment information such as the child’s pregnancy status, prescription medications, suicidal tendencies, vulnerability to being sex trafficked, and other health or risk factors
      6. Record the name and badge number of the officer who takes the report. Document the name and contact information for the investigating officer. Request the case number of the missing person's report and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) number recorded by law enforcement. SSW should document the information in the case record;
      7. SSW will follow up with law enforcement with in twenty-four (24) hours to ensure that the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit receives the KSP 261 Missing Person'​s report and a current photo so that a flyer can be distributed statewide and to surrounding states; SSW should request a copy of the printout for the case record; and
      8. ​If the information has not been entered into the Law Information Network of Kentucky (LINK) and NCIC, the SSW will contact the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit and sign an affidavit that the local agency is not in compliance with the law;
    2. ​National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC): 3
      1. Within twenty-four (24) hours of the child or youth missing from care, SSW will contact NCMEC through the NCMEC microsite under the Report a Missing Child Here tab. 
      2. If urgent or after business hours call: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)4 
      3. Provide NCMEC with the following information regarding the missing youth to effectively assist in locating the youth or child:
        1. ​A photo of the missing or abducted child or youth (if possible); 
        2. A description of the child’s or youth’s physical features, such as height, weight, sex, ethnicity, race, hair color, and eye color; and
        3. Endangerment information, such as the child’s or youth’s pregnancy status, prescription medications, suicidal tendencies, vulnerability to being sex trafficked, and other health or risk factors (4)

  3. Provides notice to the court of the child's disappearance  within twenty-four (24) hours and requests a pickup order. The SSW will request that the pickup order explicitly asks that the child be returned to DCBS or directly to a placement. 5 
  4. Contacts birth parent(s) within twenty-four (24) hours of the child being reported missing to advise of the child/youth status and to obtain additional information on possible whereabouts of the childyouth. SSW will provide updates to the birth parent during monthly contacts (including cases where reasonable efforts have been waived). If termination of parental rights (TPR) has occurred and/or the youth is over age eighteen (18), notification is not required.  
  5. Follows up with law enforcement regarding the status of the missing child/youth monthly.  SSW will document the details in case contacts. 
  6. Continues to attend all court proceedings regarding the child upon his/her return to placement; 
  7. Interviews the child within forty-eight (48) hours of their return to evaluate the following: 
    1. Factors that contributed to the child's disappearance; 
    2. Current level of functioning; 
    3. The child's experiences while missing; and 
    4. Screening for human trafficking victimization while absent from their placement.
  8. Refers the child to the local child advocacy center (CAC), if applicable, and makes corresponding report to central intake (CI) as needed for any alleged maltreatment that occurred while child was missing from care.
  9. Develops a supervision plan with the caregiver, (i.e., residential, relative, foster parent, fictive in) on preventing youth from future missing from care attempts. As stated in SOP 4.18 as it relates to individual case planning, provide tasks for youth and caregiver related to high-risk behaviors.  
  10. Documents missing from care history under specialized population on individual screens in TWIST.  
    ​

Contingencies and Clarifications

  1. The SSW follows procedures listed in SOP 2.15.9 Investigations of Human Trafficking if a child reports being a victim of human trafficking, or is identified as a victim of human trafficking after their return. 
  2. ​If the SSW and the FSOS determine through consultation, that a habitual runaway status petition is necessary, they may initiate contact with the court designated worker to initiate that action.

Footnote

  1. SSW will follow protocol for all youth regardless of age or commitment status; this includes youth over age eighteen (18). 
  2. Information provided by the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children. Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children reporting/follow-up contact information is 1-800-KIDSSAF (1-800-543-7723). Per the FBI, law enforcement agencies enter reports into NCIC that are accessible to law enforcement agencies nationwide. Therefore, once DCBS reports a missing child to local law enforcement, this information should be entered into NCIC. 
  3. Information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NOTE: Each worker can create an individual account on the NCMEC microsite unless region/county has one person designated to report missing children via the NCMEC online reporting microsite. Multiple workers should never use the same NCMEC online reporting account. 
  4. Law enforcement does not automatically report a missing child to NCMEC. NCMEC will not already have the requested information if it was previously reported to law enforcement. 
  5. Filing a runaway petition in district/family court is a separate step from filing a report with law enforcement. Law enforcement does not file runaway petitions in court on missing children. A missing from care/runaway petition must be filed by parent/guardian/next of kin for any child not in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).

Documents

Revisions

​6/14/2023 Addition: 

v.  Provide endangerment information such as the child’s pregnancy status, prescription medications, suicidal tendencies, vulnerability to being sex trafficked, and other health or risk factors;

viii. If the information has not been entered into the Law Information Network of Kentucky (LINK) and NCIC, the SSW will contact the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit and sign an affidavit that the local agency is not in compliance with the law;

Provide NCMEC with the following information regarding the missing youth to effectively assist in locating the youth or child:

      1. ​A photo of the missing or abducted child or youth (if possible); 
      2. A description of the child’s or youth’s physical features, such as height, weight, sex, ethnicity, race, hair color, and eye color; and
      3. Endangerment information, such as the child’s or youth’s pregnancy status, prescription medications, suicidal tendencies, vulnerability to being sex trafficked, and other health or risk factors (4)

9.  Develops a supervision plan with the caregiver (i.e., residential, relative, foster parent, fictive in) on preventing youth from future missing from care attempts. As stated in SOP 4.18 as it relates to individual case planning, provide tasks for youth and caregiver related to high-risk behaviors.  ​

6/14/2023 Deletion: 

v.  Provide the child’s date of birth, school, and grade; 
vi.  Describe the circumstances surrounding the disappearance/AWOL; 
vii. Provide medical and/or dental providers’ names; 
viii Provide the complete name and description of (if applicable) the abductor, or the last person with whom the child was seen, or vehicle involved; 
vi. Record the name and badge number of the officer who takes the report. Document the name and contact information for the investigating officer.  Request the case number of the missing person's report and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC)​ number recorded by law enforcement.  SSW will document the information in the case record.  Find out who will follow up the initial investigation. Also, be sure to request the case number of the missing persons report; ​
viii Ask that all data regarding the missing child be entered into the Law Information Network of Kentucky (LINK) computer, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) 2 computer, and the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit; 
x. Double check to make sure that the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit receives a KSP 261 Missing Persons Report and a current photo so that a flyer can be distributed statewide and to surrounding states; 
xi. Wait 24 hours and then check with the police to determine that the information has been entered. Ask to receive a copy of the printout, if desired. If the information has not been entered into the LINK and NCIC computers, then contact the Kentucky Missing and Exploited Children Unit and sign an affidavit that the local agency is in noncompliance with the law; and 
xii. Request that you be kept informed on a regular basis of the status of the investigation; and ​
​
  1. ​Basic information you will always be asked to provide 
    1. Child's full name 
    2. Child's date of birth 
    3. Date child went missing 
    4. City and state from where child went missing 
    5. Guardian information including agency name, and telephone 
    6. Law enforcement information including agency name and telephone 
    7. A recent photo of the child (if available) 


also requests comprehensive information regarding the child in order to be able to effectively assist in locating the child. If it is available, physical descriptive information (e.g. height, weight, hair and eye color, clothing worn), any risks or endangerments to the child, circumstances surrounding the incident, and description of any person who may be with the child; 3 
7. Arranges transportation for the child to their placement resource upon the child's return; ​