Nothing in your child’s room or your home should be touched or removed. Clothing, bedding, personal belongings, laptops, and even trash could include information about your child’s whereabouts. The checklist in the first chapter provides advice for securing your child’s room and preserving evidence. Request the name and phone number of the law enforcement investigator assigned to your case, and keep it somewhere safe and accessible. The first 48 hours after a child goes missing are crucial in terms of finding and returning the child to his or her family, but they can also be the most painful and stressful. Use this checklist to help you do everything you can in the first 48 hours to improve your chances of locating your child; but, if your child has been gone for longer than 48 hours, you should still strive to resolve these issues as soon as possible. All of the action steps listed here are covered in further detail later in the Guide to assist you understand what you should be doing and why you should be doing it. Restriction of entry to your residence until law enforcement arrives and collects any evidence.
