Missing children: welcome to the campaign

There can be few things worse than not knowing if your child is in danger. That's the fear that every parent of a missing child has to live with - day in, day out, week after week, month after month or even year after year.

Every year in the UK, around 100,000 children under 16 - one in nine of the age group - run away from home. Most of those will return home after just one night, but up to 1,300 will still be missing two weeks after being reported to the police. The festive season is a particular trigger.

14,000 children who run away are forced to leave home by parents or carers. Many are forced to live on the streets, becoming involved in crime, drugs and prostitution.

Could your child be next?

iVillage teamed up with Tesco to mark the nationwide launch of its missing children poster campaign. Each month, stores nationwide will feature a poster of two missing children in the hope that at least one of the thousands of shoppers walking through the doors each day will recognise them.

Learn more about the campaign and find out more about the issue with our series of articles below.

Help keep your child safe at home

Highlighting the issue
Missing children: the reality
An expose of the reality of daily life for many runaways

Desperately Seeking Sarah
Teenager Sarah Benford, featured on the first Tesco poster, has been missing since April 2000. We talk to her heartbroken family

What makes a child flee?
Know the triggers and learn how to make sure your child stays safe at home

Stories from the street
Theo first ran away from home when he was just six. Here he tells his story

Have you seen these children?
Find out more about the website - a partner in the Tesco poster campaign - offering hope to families of missing children

Virtual chat
To launch our missing children campaign, Chief Inspector Tim Bonnett spoke to iVillagers on our news message board

Snatched
Not every missing child is a runaway. Each year hundreds of children are abducted by an estranged parent, often as a result of a bitter custody battle

Making a statement
Lady Catherine Meyer of Parents & Abducted Children Together talks about the importance of the Tesco campaign

Useful contacts
If you, or someone you know, need help, you should be able to find it here