AlarmBee
Guides
My child is missing — the first minutes
If this is happening now
In Greece, call 112 or the Police on 100. There is no waiting period — you report a disappearance immediately.
For missing children there is also the National Helpline for Children 1056, run by The Smile of the Child, and the European hotline 116000. Outside Greece, use your local emergency number.
AlarmBee does not replace any of these services.
Most cases are resolved within a few minutes. That does not make those minutes any less terrifying. Having a plan keeps you from losing time.
The first five minutes
- Shout their name, loudly. It sounds obvious, but many parents hesitate out of embarrassment.
- Stay where you are, or leave someone there. Children often come back to the spot where they lost you.
- Check the obvious places. Toilets, the toy section, the car.
- Tell the staff. A shop, museum or beach almost always has a protocol.
- Try calling them, if they have a phone.
What to say when you call
Have four things ready in your head:
- Age and height.
- Exactly what they are wearing — colours, shoes, backpack.
- Where and when you last saw them.
- A recent photo — which is why it is worth taking one at the start of any outing to a crowded place.
Before it happens — what lowers the risk
- A meeting point. Every time you arrive somewhere, point at one spot: "if we get separated, come here".
- Who to ask. Teach them to ask a uniformed member of staff, or another parent with children.
- Knowing your number by heart, or carrying it written down.
- A panic button on their phone, if they have one.
Where a panic button fits
Let us be clear about what it does and does not do. If the child has a phone and can press a button, you immediately get a location and two photos — where they are and what is around them.
If they have no phone, cannot press it, or have no time, no button helps. That is why the steps above come first on this page.