The Maryland Center for Missing Children (MCMC) provides assistance and support to State Police Installations and all law enforcement agencies nationwide in locating a missing child. In specific instances such as kidnapping, investigators assigned to the Computer Crimes Unit will provide additional assistance to field investigators. The Center presents informative seminars for parents and police to address incidents of runaways, stranger abductions, and parental abductions. The Center produces posters of the missing child for immediate dissemination and coordinates a nationwide response by working closely with other Missing Children Clearing Houses nationwide.

The Maryland Center for Missing Children was established by Maryland law in 1985 as the State's clearinghouse for missing children information, and is overseen by the Maryland State Police, Computer Crimes Unit. The Center's hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding State Holidays. An answering machine is available after hours and staff is on call 24/7 in an emergency situation by calling the Maryland State Police Headquarters Duty Officer at 410-653-4200.

• Toll-free Hotline (800-637-5437 Nationwide)
• Investigative Leads/Sightings
• Queries/Database Searches for Law Enforcement
• Poster Creation/Distribution
• Liaison with other State Clearinghouses/NCMEC/Law Enforcement Agencies and Non-Profit organizations.
• Statistical Information
• Speakers Bureau

Keep an updated photograph of your child. The photograph should be an up close head and shoulders snapshot. Keep this photograph along with other descriptive information about your child in a safe and convenient place in your home. For small children, the photograph should be taken at least every six months, for older children at least once a year. Ensure that your child is aware of his/her full name, address, phone number and your full name.

If you have a computer in the home, place it in a public area. Do not allow your children to have unsupervised access.

These tips and many more are available from MCMC by calling 800-MDS-KIDS (800-637-5437), e-mailing MCMC at marylandch@ncmec.org or by calling The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

• Report immediately to your local law enforcement agency.
• Contact MCMC for further assistance.
• Contact your child's friends/relatives for possible information on their whereabouts.
• Contact your child's school for any information.
• Determine if child took any belongings or had access to money.
• Be careful not to disturb child's bedroom or other areas where child may have last been.
• If you suspect the computer may possess information relating to the disappearance, leave the computer untouched and notify police.

Other Resources

NCMEC - The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children   800-THE-LOST

NCMEC Click NCMEC to go there. 

MECA - The Missing and Exploited Children's Association 877-755-MECA

NRS - The National Runaway Switchboard 800-621-4000

VCA - Vanished Children's Alliance 800-VANISHED

Missing Youth Foundation  402-289-4401

Contact The Center

MAIL: Maryland Center for Missing Children
1201 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208

PHONE: 800-637-5437

FAX: 410-290-1831

EMAIL: marylandch@ncmec.org.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing: TTY 410-486-0677 Or Within Maryland Call: 7-1-1 Maryland Relay.

To view posters of Maryland's Missing Children click the link below.

http://www.missingkids.com/precreate/MD.html