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Family guides / SOS and emergencies

What to do if a child gets lost or goes missing

Learn to prioritize in-person help, contacting authorities, and useful information. You do not need to wait 24 hours to report a missing person in Brazil.

By AlkateiaUpdated September 20, 20263 min read

In this guide
  1. What should you do first in a public place? Notify security, event organizers, or identifiable staff. Explain where the child was last seen and describe them. If accompanied, coordinate actions and keep a way to stay in touch instead of everyone scattering without a plan. If there is immediate danger in Brazil, call 190. (Anatel)
  2. What information helps the authorities? Have a recent photo, name, age, clothing description, and the last confirmed time and place the child was seen. Mention relevant health conditions or needs. Report known contacts, routes, and facts, distinguishing confirmed information from assumptions. Preserve available messages and records without conducting a private investigation.
  3. Should I wait for the app to update their location? No. An app may display an old point, lack a connection, or run out of battery. Shared location with its timestamp can be additional information for authorities, but is no reason to delay requesting help. Do not go alone to a potentially dangerous place based only on a map marker.
  4. Can I share photos and information in every group? Ask authorities for guidance on publicity. Avoid exposing documents, private details, or contacts that could enable scams against the family. Keep communication organized and notify authorities about new information or the child's whereabouts. Urgency should not unnecessarily increase exposure.
  5. How can you prepare a child before going out? Agree on a reference point and show where to find identifiable staff. Teach them to ask for help and provide an age-appropriate family contact. In an unfamiliar place, review the agreement before separating. Do not present a phone as the only way to request help.
  6. What should you review afterward? Support the child and understand what happened without making their return an immediate punishment. Update the family emergency plan. Communication and location tools can complement this plan, but in-person protection and official services take priority in this situation.

If a child is lost, immediately ask responsible staff at the location for help and check the situation without waiting for a message. If there is concern about disappearance or danger, contact the police. Do not wait 24 hours: Brazil's ECA provides for immediate investigation after the competent authorities are notified. (Planalto)

What should you do first in a public place? Notify security, event organizers, or identifiable staff. Explain where the child was last seen and describe them. If accompanied, coordinate actions and keep a way to stay in touch instead of everyone scattering without a plan. If there is immediate danger in Brazil, call 190. (Anatel)

What information helps the authorities? Have a recent photo, name, age, clothing description, and the last confirmed time and place the child was seen. Mention relevant health conditions or needs. Report known contacts, routes, and facts, distinguishing confirmed information from assumptions. Preserve available messages and records without conducting a private investigation.

Should I wait for the app to update their location? No. An app may display an old point, lack a connection, or run out of battery. Shared location with its timestamp can be additional information for authorities, but is no reason to delay requesting help. Do not go alone to a potentially dangerous place based only on a map marker.

Can I share photos and information in every group? Ask authorities for guidance on publicity. Avoid exposing documents, private details, or contacts that could enable scams against the family. Keep communication organized and notify authorities about new information or the child's whereabouts. Urgency should not unnecessarily increase exposure.

How can you prepare a child before going out? Agree on a reference point and show where to find identifiable staff. Teach them to ask for help and provide an age-appropriate family contact. In an unfamiliar place, review the agreement before separating. Do not present a phone as the only way to request help.

What should you review afterward? Support the child and understand what happened without making their return an immediate punishment. Update the family emergency plan. Communication and location tools can complement this plan, but in-person protection and official services take priority in this situation.

Sources and references

  1. Planalto — Statute of the Child and Adolescent, Article 208, Paragraph 2
  2. Anatel — Public Utility and Emergency Services
  3. Federal Government of Brazil — Report human rights violations / Dial 100

Sources accessed September 20, 2026. Informational content produced by Alkateia; information about the app describes its own features.