Impact - Missing Children Europe

FAQs

Call the hotline if you are a:

child who is missing from home / care or a child who is thinking of leaving home / care
parent or carer of a missing child
child, young person, or adult who has information about a missing child

Make a report to the police if you know of a child who has gone missing. This can be done by anybody, not just the parents or carers. You may also call the 116 000 hotline for support, advice, and to share valuable information about a missing child.

Who answers the calls?

Professionally trained Hotline Operators.

Does the 116 000 hotline work in my country?

The 116 000 number works in 32 countries in Europe. You can find the list of countries here.

The 116 000 hotline is not available in my country, who can I contact instead?

Always contact your national police to report a missing child or to share information relating to a missing child.

Other national hotlines or children’s organisations are available in your country, you can find this online.

Who can call the 116 000 hotline?

Everyone. Children, young people, parents or carers, families, and third party adults.

If you know about a missing child or if you know of a child at risk of going missing, the 116 000 hotline will be able to support you.

What information am I required to give when I call the 116 000 hotline?

You will be asked for details related to the missing child and their circumstances.

The more information provided the more help this will be for the protection of the child.

Do I have to share my details, I want to remain anonymous?

No, you do not have to share your details. Only share your details should you wish to.

Our impact

Supporting frontline professionals

400 people benefited from training across

2 workshops
9 expert webinars
3 cross-border family mediator trainings

200 professionals from across Europe

were empowered to elaborate joint messages and recommendations to improve the respect of the rights of all children and their protection under the Initiative for Children in Migration.

Stakeholders include law enforcement, hotline operators, migration authorities, guardianship institutions, child protection NGOs, and authorities.

Raising awareness andchallenging narratives

Success on social networks

Facebook likes up by 219
Twitter followers up by 532
LinkedIn followers up by 530

Over 200k people

were reached through the Runaway Prevention Month campaign in 2020.

Link to the campaign

Over 1M people

were reached through the Tiny and Apollo campaign in 2020.

Link to the campaign

A total of 164 press articles

Advocating for child-centred policy

The organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) embedded our

INTERACT recommendations

in their work towards the establishment of National Focal Points to Protect Child Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings.

More than 30 organisations

joined our coalition to combat online child sexual abuse and exploitation.

The European Commission launched the

Pact on Migration and Asylum that included points on relocation of unaccompanied minors

influenced by MCE and Child Circle’s publication “Keeping the Child’s Best Interests at the Heart of Relocation”.

Together with

28 organisations

developed a Joint Position Paper on a

Comprehensive Child Rights Strategy

advocating for the prevention and protection of children from violence and abuse that can lead to going missing and for support to the 116000 hotlines that the recommendations from which were refelected in the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child.

Supporting child participation

Child Comms Expert group

of 5 young people, some with experience of going missing, co-developed the new child friendly section on the Missing Children Europe’s website.

10 young people

with experience of running away joined our

Young People’s Board

and are co-steering the RADAR project research, campaigns, and policy recommendations.

16 young newcomers

participated in the

Lost in Migration youth conference

to prepare and co-steer the development and messages of the 2021 edition.

Using scientific data to define priorities

22 hotlines

provided data for the Figures

and Trends 2020 report.

15 professionals working with runaways

were consulted in a Delphi study on attitudes, responses and best practices regarding running away.

Surveyed

28 cross-border mediators

about parental abduction.

We need you on our side!

Learn how you can help support Missing Children Europe and what projects need your funding.

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