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The methods you use to find a lost family member will largely depend on the reason that you have been separated from that person. Your first step is to make sure you think about the missing person's status. For example, maybe your relative is a refugee. If you have been separated due to an event like war or a natural disaster, there are special agencies that can help you reunite. Contact the Red Cross. The Red Cross is an international organization; one of its functions is to help locate missing family members. Try contacting the Red Cross in the country where you are, and also the office in the country where your family member last was. Be prepared to provide as much information as possible. The person assigned to your case will be better able to help you if you can give a lot of details about your relative's last location, description, etc. Make notes of these details to help you remember key points. Use the Red Cross message service. This organization has a special system for helping get personal messages to refugees who are far from their family members. The Red Cross does not just work on locating recently displaced person. 7% of their case load still involves locating people lost during World War II. Contact your local office to begin the search process. There are many other reasons that your family member might be lost. There are numerous adults who have become separated from their families. Sometimes this is a conscious choice, and sometimes it is due to complications caused by a mental illness. There are some specific things you can do to find a lost adult relative. Contact NamUS. The U.S. Justice Department oversees the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. This database is used by law enforcement agencies, medical professionals, and the general public to locate and report missing persons. NamUS provides many resources, such as providing missing posters for you to print, and access to medical examiner and coroner reports. NamUS can help you determine whether someone is actually your missing relative. The agency provides free DNA testing and other identification resources. If your missing family member is a child, there are designated resources to help you locate her. You will definitely want to file a missing person report with your local authorities. They can help you begin the process of bringing the child safely home. Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC is one of the largest databases of missing children in the United States. They work with many other agencies to help locate missing children. If you are searching for a teenager, you can also try contacting the National Runaway Safeline. This organization can help you find local resources that will be useful in bringing a runaway back home. Social media is not just for fun. It can be incredibly useful in locating a missing family member. Reports indicate that law enforcement agencies are utilizing social media to help spread the word about missing persons. You can use these tools, too, to try to track down your relative. Post on Facebook. Facebook is used by people of all ages around the world. Make a post about your missing family member and ask people to share. The more "likes" you get, the better your odds of reaching someone who has seen your relative. Try Twitter. Twitter is also a great way to connect with a large number of people. Tweet about your missing family member, and make sure to include a picture and last known location. When you are conducting a search for a lost family member, you might need to recruit a lot of help. In addition to asking your friends and family for help, you'll want to reach out to several organizations. Try making contacts in your city, the city where your relative last lived, and any cities where she might be. The Salvation Army is a non-profit organization that has many branches. They should be on your list of contacts to make. Your contact person at the Salvation Army can help you reach out to law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, and government offices. Reach out to your local branch to begin the search process. Try contacting a wide variety of people at agencies such as the Salvation Army in various cities. The more people you contact, the greater the likelihood of finding your relative.
Find a refugee. Locate a missing adult. Look for a missing child. Use social media. Make new contacts.