Formerly known as the ECRC, The Coalition for Missing Children (CMC) is a coalition of UK-based organisations that work with children and young people who go missing from home or care. It exists to ensure that these vulnerable members of our society are safeguarded from harm through effective policy and appropriate services at both national and local level.
Every year approximately 75,000 children are reported missing in more than 200,000 incidents across the UK.
The reasons why children go missing can be wide ranging and multi‐faceted. Many will be being groomed or exploited, others may be escaping abuse or conflict at home, and some will be experiencing mental health crisis.
Research suggests that these children and young people are at increased risk of harm whilst away. They need support to address why they went missing, to ensure that they are safeguarded from risk, and to address any harm they may have experienced while away.
The CMC’s vision is that every child is safeguarded from the risks experienced by missing children through prevention, targeted services and effective crisis responses. Its mission is to ensure that the needs of these children and young people are comprehensively met at a local and national level through campaigning, sharing good practice and partnership working.
The CMC is a membership organisation. Membership is open to any organisation, service or professional in England that believes in the CMC’s mission, vision and values and wishes to use their experience and expertise for the benefit of children and young people who go missing, and their families. It is also open to professionals working on issues that are connected to going missing – for example, sexual exploitation services.
The CMC is led by two Co-Chairs, who are elected by the membership, and these positions are currently held by Josie Allan of Missing People, and Sarah Parker of Catch22.
The CMC has a number of objectives to support its vision and mission:
• Share good practice and promote evidence‐based learning.
• Influence local and national government and frontline services to build robust policies, practice and guidance that meet the needs of missing children and their families.
• Influence statutory agencies to actively support and implement good practice and their full duty of care.
• Inform and influence key stakeholders, the media and public opinion.
• Participate and engage with children, young people and their families in the development and work of the CMC.
• Respond to and engage with relevant research, consultations and communications.
• Campaign to achieve the CMC’s mission.
The launch of the Runaway Helpline in 2003 by Missing People generated an Advisory Group to oversee the helpline’s implementation and development. The group – made up of voluntary, public and statutory sector members – evolved into the English Coalition for Runaway Children (ECRC). In 2025 the group was updated to include Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish members, and to reflect changes in preferred language, so became the Coalition for Missing Children (CMC).
Missing People provides administrative support to the CMC. For more information about the group, including membership application forms, please contact Josie Allan at josie.allan@missingpeople.org.uk or on 020 8392 4524.
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