Missing Youth

Missing Youth are vulnerable youth.

Missing Youth:

  • A child who’s whereabouts are UNKNOWN
  • A child who may have been abducted
  • A child who may have run away or be “on the run” whose whereabouts are unknown, whether or not they make periodic check-ins with providers of caregivers

Absent Youth:

  • A child who has left (or run away from) a DCF-approved placement or their parent(s)/caregiver(s) whose whereabouts are KNOWN and refuses to return

Vulnerabilities:

  • History of Trauma
  • Past sexual victimization
  • History of Domestic Violence
  • Witness to in-home and/or community violence
  • Family instability or Lack of community networks/Social Support
  • Substance Abuse
  • Mental Health
  • Poverty/Economic Need or Homelessness
  • Undocumented/Immigration Status
  • LGBTQIA+
  • BIPOC

Places Youth Are Vulnerable:

  • Homeless Shelters
  • Emergency Placements
  • Residential Programs/ Group Homes
  • Inpatient/Outpatient Programs
  • Foster Care/Adoption Placements
  • School/After School Programs
  • Sporting Events
  • Home….

Missing Youth Task Force:

  • The Missing Youth Task Force work together with DCF, Law Enforcement, the DA’s office, residential programs, and anyone else who may be involved in a missing youth’s life. They all work together to share information and to locate missing youth.
  •  The Missing Youth Task Force has been meeting for a little over a year now and has worked together to develop some general practice guidelines on a county response.
  • The Missing Youth Task Force in Bristol County was first convened in 2022 and has worked together to develop general practice guidelines on a county-wide  response.

Contact Information:

  • Non-Emergency On-site Missing Youth Advocate, Aly Harding: aharding@jri.org or (508) 674-6111 Extension: 38106
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 24-hour Call Center: 1-800-843-5678