A missing child is defined as which of the following?

A missing child is defined as which of the following?

• A. A child under 18 who is still located and safe.
• B. A person younger than 18 whose residence is in Florida; no one knows where the child is located and someone reported the child as missing.
• C. An adult who has left home without notice.
• D. A child under 18 who is temporarily with a relative.

Answer: (B)

Missing-child definitions require four elements: the person is under 18, has a residence in the jurisdiction, their whereabouts are unknown, and someone has filed a missing-person report. The best option fits all of these: a person under 18 with Florida residence, whose location is unknown and who has been reported missing. This matches the formal criteria used in many jurisdictions to classify someone as a missing child and trigger the appropriate response. The other scenarios don’t meet those criteria. A child who is safe and located is not missing. An adult isn’t a child. A child under 18 who is temporarily with a relative implies the location isn’t unknown or there may be no missing-person report, so it doesn’t meet the definition used here.

Missing-child definitions require four elements: the person is under 18, has a residence in the jurisdiction, their whereabouts are unknown, and someone has filed a missing-person report. The best option fits all of these: a person under 18 with Florida residence, whose location is unknown and who has been reported missing. This matches the formal criteria used in many jurisdictions to classify someone as a missing child and trigger the appropriate response.

The other scenarios don’t meet those criteria. A child who is safe and located is not missing. An adult isn’t a child. A child under 18 who is temporarily with a relative implies the location isn’t unknown or there may be no missing-person report, so it doesn’t meet the definition used here.