250 Children. Still Missing. Still Missed.

Across Canada, over 250 children under the age of 18 have been missing for more than a year. They are who become called the long-term missing — children whose disappearances have stretched beyond the first search efforts, beyond the news cycle, and far beyond what any family should ever have to endure.

Many of these children have been missing for decades. The majority were last seen before the internet existed. Before Amber Alerts. Before DNA forensics.

The oldest long term missing case in Canada is the disappearance of Richard Marlow, who vanished from Etobicoke, Ontario in July 1944. He was just 9 years old. That was over 80 years ago.

And he is not alone.

What Does “Long-Term Missing” Mean?

When a child has been missing for an extended period of time, typically more than a year, their case is considered long-term. But let’s be clear: these are not “cold” cases — they are open wounds.

They are the children whose faces no longer appear on the evening news… but whose families never stopped searching.

Their cases consist of the questions that never got answered — and the answers that still might exist.

The Impact on Families and Communities

For the families left behind, time does not bring closure. It brings limbo.

Every birthday without a child. Every Christmas with an empty chair. Every milestone missed becomes a quiet heartbreak. The siblings grow older. The parents grow more desperate. And in many cases, the public grows more silent.

Long-term missing children's cases don’t just affect families — they affect entire communities. Especially in small towns, these disappearances leave a permanent mark. They fracture trust. They change how people let their kids play outside. They live in whispers and what-ifs.

As time passes, many people assume these children will never be found.

They feel helpless.They stop talking.They stop looking.

But Here’s the Truth: Time Doesn’t End a Case

It’s easy to believe that if a child hasn’t been found after 10, 20, or even 50 years… they never will be.

But that’s simply not true.

• Someone still knows something. A friend, a family member, a witness who was scared to speak up — they may still be out there.

• Technology has changed. DNA matching, facial age progression, and national databases are solving old cases that once seemed impossible.

• Missing children have been found — even after decades. It happens. And it can happen again.

  
  

But it only happens if we keep searching.

We cannot find them if no one knows they are missing!

How You Can Help

You don’t need to be a detective to make a difference. Here’s how you can help bring Canada’s missing children home:

Share Their Faces

Follow, share, and repost missing child cases. You never know who might see it.

Talk About Them

Bring up cases with older relatives. They may remember details lost to time.

Look for Patterns

If a case sounds familiar — in location, method, or time period — speak up. Many connections are made by ordinary people who notice things.

Speak Out

Ask your local police or government officials what’s being done about long-term missing children. Keep the pressure on.

Offer Support

Families never stop grieving. A comment of support or remembrance can mean more than you know.

Why We Must Keep Going

250 children in Canada have been missing for more than a year.

Most are not household names. But every single one of them was — and is — loved.

We don’t give up on the missing because too much time has passed. We keep going because hope has no expiration date.

At We the Missing, we believe visibility matters. We believe every child deserves to come home — no matter how long it takes.

Join Us in Remembering — and in Searching

Help us spread awareness, share their stories, and give these children what time has tried to take away: attention.

Because long-term missing doesn’t mean forgotten. It means we have work to do.

Know a case we should cover? Want to share your story? Contact us or follow us @WeTheMissing (on Facebook and Instagram). Email us at wethemissing@gmail.com