National Missing Children’s Day: Border Services Officers Continuously on Alert for Missing Children

May 25, 2018                                                       Niagara Falls, Ontario                                                                               Canada Border Services Agency

Today is National Missing Children’s Day and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – Southern Ontario Region (SOR) is raising awareness about travelling with children. The CBSA invites everyone to take a moment to consult Canada's Missing website to view the profiles of missing children in Canada.

The CBSA works closely with its partners to locate and return children to their parents/legal guardians as part of the Our Missing Children program. This program is comprised of four federal government departments/agencies: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Global Affairs Canada; the Department of Justice Canada and the CBSA.

In 2017, five children were recovered in SOR. From January 1st to April 30th, 2018, three children were recovered.

Today, many ports of entry across the SOR will be conducting special activities to raise awareness about the Our Missing Children program and to provide information to the public about the importance of the safety of children crossing international borders.

Tips for travelling with children

The CBSA’s border services officers are constantly on alert for missing children at ports of entry across Canada and may ask detailed questions about minors that are travelling with you.

To help avoid delays at international borders when travelling with children, it is recommended that:

• Children carry valid identification such as a passport or a NEXUS card as well as supporting identification such as a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate.
• Parents sharing custody of their children carry copies of their legal custody documents, such as custody rights.
• Individuals travelling with minors for whom they are not the parent or legal guardian carry a consent letter which provides authorization to travel with the child or children without the legal guardians present.
• When travelling with a group of vehicles, parents or guardians should arrive at the border in the same vehicle as their children or any minors they are accompanying.
• Children are informed that they will be asked questions by a border services officer and they shouldn’t be afraid to answer their questions. Border services officers ensure the safety and well-being of children crossing the border.