This section offers advice to parents and caregivers about what to do if your child goes missing. It also examines some of the legal issues surrounding prostitution.

Please have a look at the newest resource for parents. A resource manual has been put together by the McCreary Youth Foundation with special help from Diane Sowden of Children of the Street Society and Catherine Williams-Jones from NOW Canada Society.

The Manual is called:  The guide book is available in English, Simplified & Traditional Chinese, Punjabi and Vietnamese in PDF form below.  Please note, they may take a few seconds to load.

Dealing with Issues of Sexual Exploitation: A guide for Parents (PDF)

Simplified Chinese (PDF)

Traditional Chinese (PDF)

Punjabi (PDF)

Vietnamese (PDF)

Winter

• Call your local police department or R.C.M.P detachment.

• File a missing child report. This will allow the police to place a description of your child into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). This way all the police forces in Canada will know that the child had been reported missing.

• The police will want information, be prepared. Have current pictures and identifiable information ready.

• You can, in addition, contact your provincial searching agency and register the missing child. These searching agencies provide support, and information you can use to help find your child.

HOW DO I FIND A MISSING CHILD?

• Stay calm. Contact neighbors, friends, anyone who may know where your child may be.

• Conduct a telephone search. Encourage your family and friends to make calls. So your phone line will remain free.

• Conduct a basic land search of the area. Target places your child would "hang-out".

• File a missing child report.  This allows the police to place a description of the child who is missing on the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC).

• Provide the police with an information kit. The kit should include: recent pictures, birth certificate, medical history and other identifiable data.

• Conduct a complete physical search of the area. Organize a search party of friends and relatives.

• Leave someone at home at all times to answer the phone. Continue to keep the telephone line free.

• Contact your provincial searching agency and register the missing child. They will also provide you with useful searching tips.

• Act quickly. Each moment that passes is important.  Continue your search, even if there are no immediate results.

• Solicit media support. Such as: radio, television and local publications.

• Distribute a photograph of the missing child. All police and searching agencies have services available to complete this task.

• Keep a detailed diary of people and agencies you have already contacted, and steps taken.
         

Source:  R.C.M.P.  Missing Children's Registry, 1998.

Legal Issues

Section 212 (2.1) – Creates an offence of aggravated procuring, with a minimum of five years imprisonment, for a person living on the avails of prostitution of a person under 18 and who, for profit assists or compels that person to engage in prostitution.

Section 212 (4) – Is aimed specifically at the customers of sexually exploited youth. It is a criminal offence to, in any place, obtain for consideration or communicate with anyone for the purpose of obtaining for consideration the sexual services of a person who is under the age of 18 years. "Consideration " means money, drugs, shelter, clothing a ride home or anything of value. Conviction brings a maximum sentence of five years.

 The Communicating Offence - Section 213 – It is a criminal offence to communicate or attempt to communicate with any person in any place open in public view (including motor vehicles), for the purpose of:

• engaging in prostitution, or
• obtaining the sexual services of a prostitute