International Missing Children’s Day, observed globally every 25 May, is the opportunity to raise awareness about child disappearances and share a message of hope with their families.
For this year’s campaign, we are focusing on the colour blue. With #BlueForHope, we created a European social media movement with people participating in taking photos wearing blue or with something blue showing support for the search for missing children. The colour is a symbol of hope, solidarity, and the message that when a child goes missing, we keep looking.
On 25 May, Missing Children Europe and its member organisations will come together to create a powerful, shared European moment. As the final highlight, landmarks in participating European cities will be lit up in blue at night.
Across Europe, this will be a visible reminder that help is always available through 116 000.
With the unwavering commitment of Ewa Kopacz, Vice-President of the European Parliament, the illumination of the European Parliament became a reality for the #BlueForHope campaign amplifying our message and inspiring action across Europe.
The 116 000 hotline
One of the most vital support systems in place is the 116 000 hotline, available in 32 European countries. This free and confidential helpline offers psychological, legal, and practical assistance to children and families. The hotline is designed to be accessible 24/7, but unfortunately, that is not the case everywhere.
Every parent of a child who is missing deserves to know that there is still hope. Together, we can send a strong signal: we never stop looking. Hotlines are of utmost importance in supporting the search for missing children: in an act of solidarity, every citizen can help promote their existence.
– Aagje Ieven, Secretary General of Missing Children Europe
How to support?
The campaign starts with people: before monuments turn blue, Europeans turn blue first.
Whether you’re a content creator, organisation or citizen, you may join the campaign by sharing photos of yourself in blue or with something blue to help build a visible European movement around hope, vigilance and support for missing children. Just add the hashtag #BlueForHope and tag Missing Children Europe.
Why your participation matters?
- Strengthen public awareness of the scale of missing children in Europe
- Increase visibility of the 116 000 hotline as a key support mechanism
- Demonstrate cross-sector commitment to child protection
- Contribute to a unified European message of solidarity and vigilance
Amplify the European movement by encouraging others to join and by reposting our #BlueForHope posts. We are reposting your photos in blue!
Additional content suggestions
- Highlight your organisation’s work or commitment related to child protection
- Share key facts or messages on missing children in Europe
- Engage your staff or network in a collective visual action (e.g. wearing blue)
- Encourage dissemination of the 116 000 hotline for missing children
Follow the campaign on our socials!
Want to do more?
Help us raise funds to continue the support and coordination of the European network of 116 000 hotlines and the implementation of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM), an essential tool to guarantee quality service for all hotlines across Europe.
Each donation of 25EUR will help us maintain a monthly CRM license for one hotline. This allows us to keep track of details and updates on missing children cases and ease cross-border cooperation between hotlines operating in different countries, to better prevent and efficiently find missing children whilst support their families.
2025
Last year on May 22, Missing Children Europe transformed Place du Luxembourg, in front of the European Parliament, by laying out hundreds of children’s shoes to spell out “116 000″ — the EU-wide hotline for missing children. This striking visual served as a memorial, a symbol of remembrance and hope, and a call to action.
Their voices joined together — alongside EU officials, members of the civil society child rights community, and our friends from Les Petits Riens, without whom this memorial would not have been possible — to honour missing children and remind Europe of the ongoing need to protect its youngest citizens.