The best case we ever handle is the one that never happens. These resources are free for every South African family. Print them, share them, and work through them with your children.
Panic is normal. Work through these steps anyway, in this order.
In order for Missing Children South Africa to legally assist the South African Police Services (SAPS) when searching for a missing child (0 to 18 years old), we require the following important information and documentation:
This is the single most damaging myth about missing persons in South Africa. There is no waiting period in law. The first hours matter most.
If you are aware of child abuse, neglect or exploitation, report it. You do not need proof to make a report, only a reasonable concern.
Share missing person flyers when you see them. A flyer seen by the right person in the right place is how a great many children come home.
Each card is a short highlight from the real document. Download it to keep the full list.
A fill-in identity record for each child: personal details, distinguishing features, fingerprints and a current photograph, ready before you ever need them.
24 tips covering the everyday habits that keep children safer, from a family password to what to teach them about strangers.
20 tips written for children themselves, to read and practise together. Keep the language simple.
14 tips for the season when routines change most: new places, bigger crowds and less familiar surroundings.
MCSA's official poster version of the steps above. Print it and keep it somewhere visible, like the fridge.
All of these national helplines are free to call.
Our ECD (early childhood development) colouring and story books teach safety tips to pre-schoolers across South Africa. Sponsoring a place of learning puts them into small hands.
