Extend Child Rescue Alert to cover children at risk of wandering or elopement

Background

We call on the Government to extend the Child Rescue Alert system to also cover children at high risk of wandering or elopement, including autistic and non-verbal children.

Additional details

Child Rescue Alert currently exists mainly for suspected abduction. Autistic and non-verbal children face a much higher risk of wandering, and recent tragedies show how quickly this can turn fatal. We believe the same rapid, coordinated response should also apply when a high-risk child goes missing due to wandering or elopement, not abduction alone.