This page contains information about the National Emergency Child Locator Center, including how the Center is activated and operates during a disaster.
THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY CHILD LOCATOR CENTER
OVERVIEW
The National Emergency Child Locator Center (NECLC) is operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and may be activated through a request to FEMA from a State, Tribe, or Territory during Presidentially-declared disasters. Its primary mission is to assist with the reunification of children who have become separated from their parents or legal guardians during a disaster. The NECLC was established in conjunction with FEMA's National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS), which facilitates the voluntary reunification of adults who are separated due to a major disaster or emergency.
The toll-free number for the NECLC is 1-877-908-9570, and it is staffed 24-hours a day when activated. For more information please visit the Center's website. Additionally, the Unaccompanied Minors Registry is a public website and reporting and data collection tool that aids the reunification of an unaccompanied child with his/her caregivers. Click here to access the Unaccompanied Minors Registry.
AUTHORITY
Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), Public Law 109-295, Section 689c
ELIGIBILITY
There are no eligibility requirements for this service.
IMPLEMENTATION
The State may request that FEMA activate the National Emergency Child Locator Center under section 774(b) Reunification of the Stafford Act during Presidentially-declared disasters.
When activated the Center will:
- operate a call center to manage calls concerning missing and unaccompanied children;
- monitor the Unaccompanied Minors Registry;
- deploy trained staff to the location of a disaster to gather information about displaced children
- coordinate reunification efforts with local law enforcement/human services;
- help shelters ensure the safety of dislocated children;
- provide information to the public about additional resources; and
- refer reports of displaced adults to the attorney genteral's designated authority and the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System.
For more information, contact Mark Tinsman, FEMA Recovery Directorate, Individual Assistance Division, Acting Section Chief, Mass Care-Emergency Assistance.
******