Who do you go to when you need someone to listen to you? In the past, you may have turned to your parents or brothers and sisters for support. But they may not be able to help you right now because—like you—they are trying to cope with the loss of your sibling. If that’s the case, there are others you can turn to for help and support: your trusted friends, family members, and relatives. And if you need to speak to someone else, there are professionals ready to
listen, who genuinely want to hear what you’re going through, and have resources to help.
- The National Crisis Hotline has trained crisis workers who will listen empathetically to ensure that you feel safe and help identify options and information about mental health services in your area. Your call is confidential and free. Call or text 988. The line is open 24/7. You can access their fact sheet here.
- The National Runaway Safeline operates 24/7 and is available for a child who has run away or for the family of that child. Staff are available to listen and offer confidential, non-directive, and nonjudgmental support that can guide the caller through solutions to improve their situation. Call 800-RUN-AWAY (800-786- 2929). You can access their fact sheet here.
- Additional resources are also available to give you and your family information and support. Some of these resources target parents as their initial audience, so you may want to share the following list with your parents or other trusted adults.
- The U.S. Department of Justice manages the AMBER Alert program, an early warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER Alerts are one of the tools that law enforcement can use to find an abducted child.
- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was established in 1984 to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and professionals. To access their resources, call NCMEC at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) or visit their website at www.missingkids.org.
- Team HOPE (Help Offering Parents Empowerment) is a mentoring and support program for families of missing children. Made up of parent volunteers, Team HOPE provides mentoring services, counseling, and emotional support for parents and other family members. Volunteers can be
reached at 866-305-HOPE (4673). - Missing Child Clearinghouses provide resources for missing children, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and the Netherlands have a missing child clearinghouse. These clearinghouses are state agencies often housed within, or operationally connected to, the state police, highway patrol, or a top-level law enforcement agency.
- Black and Missing Foundation (BAMFI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to bring awareness to missing persons of color, provide vital resources and tools to missing persons’ families and friends, and educate the minority community on personal safety. BAMFI was founded in 2008 by experts in the fields of law enforcement and public relations to help bring awareness to and find those missing from our communities. BAMFI creates public awareness campaigns for public safety and provides parents and loved ones of missing persons with a forum for spreading the word of their disappearance, with pictures and profiles of missing individuals. BAMFI also utilizes a variety of media platforms, including print, television, radio, and social media, to help locate those who are missing. Other materials you may find helpful include:
- Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials available from the Office for Victims of Crime in the event you must navigate the court process.
- Interactive and educational child witness materials available through the Center for Justice Innovation.
- Finding Sierra, a book by Derrica Wilson, is about a girl named Sierra Knight who has not been seen for 15 days. Her disappearance has rocked the city, bringing the public together as they strive to bring Sierra home. With the help of Officer Carlise’s fellow detectives, and the support of the community, they gather evidence and pursue leads in hopes that their efforts will solve the case. Finding Sierra brings to light the importance of community, comradery, and internet safety. Readers will get a glimpse into the very real dangers of entertaining strangers online and what we can do to prevent involvement in harmful situations.
You are also encouraged to look at the following publications, produced by the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, to help through this challenging time:
- Responding to Change and Loss
- Holiday Toolkit: Supporting Children Who Are Grieving During the Season of Family
