COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nearly 15,400 children were reported missing in Ohio last year, according to the state’s annual missing children report released Monday by Attorney General Dave Yost ahead of National Missing Children’s Day on May 25.
The 2025 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report shows 15,367 children were reported missing statewide in 2025 — 1,037 fewer than the previous year. Of those, 15,024, or 97.8 percent, were recovered safely by year’s end. Six children were found deceased.
“My heart weighs heavy with every child who goes missing,” Yost said. “I am grateful to Ohio law enforcement for their diligent work to bring these children home.”
The report captures a breakdown of how children went missing. Runaway cases accounted for the largest share, with 7,656 children leaving home without permission. There were 22 cases involving abductions by noncustodial parents and two cases involving stranger abductions. Four AMBER Alerts were issued involving four children — all were recovered safely. Eighteen Endangered Missing Child Alerts were issued involving 18 children; 17 were recovered safely, and one was found deceased.
Overall, 19,930 people of all ages were reported missing in Ohio in 2025, 1,412 fewer than the year before.
Scioto Valley counties
The report includes county-level data showing the number of missing persons cases reported locally. Among counties in the Scioto Valley region, Fairfield County had the highest total with 137 cases. Ross County recorded 82 cases. Scioto and Pickaway counties each recorded 47. Athens County had 45. Pike County had 20. Lawrence County had 22. Madison County had 17. Hocking County had 13. Highland County had 15. Jackson County had 14. Fayette County had 16. Adams County had 9. Vinton County had 3.
How the data is collected
The Clearinghouse Report is built from a coordinated effort between local law enforcement agencies and the National Crime Information Center, operated by the U.S. Department of Justice. When a child goes missing, law enforcement creates a missing person report and enters the data into the NCIC database. When a child is found, the case is closed. That cumulative data is provided annually to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for the report.
BCI’s Missing Persons Unit coordinates Endangered Missing Child Alerts and Endangered Missing Adult Alerts, and provides direct support to families and local law enforcement agencies working to locate missing individuals.
Families with missing loved ones gathered with law enforcement, advocates, and community members on May 16 for Ohio’s Missing Persons Day, hosted by BCI at Bowling Green State University.