•Thoroughly search all areas where a small child may play and fall asleep.

•Contact police as soon as you have determined your child is missing or has been abducted.

•Ask the responding officer if a neighborhood canvass will be done.

•Provide authorities with the date, time and location where your child was last seen.

•Secure your child's room and personal belongings until law enforcement has had the opportunity to conduct a search.

Information from the Missing-Child Emergency-Response, Quick-Reference Guide for Families, from the non-profit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. According to a center report, 800,000 children are reported missing annually in the U.S.

ALEX EBERT