Are Little Kids Going Missing More Than Usual?

I don't know if this has anything to do with the pandemic, but since this all started, I am hearing about a lot of small children getting lost/wandering around without an adult. I know I don't have a kid, so I couldn't possibly know the struggles of being a parent. And yes, freak accidents and incidents occur. But making sure your vulnerable child is safe and sound at all times is essential to being a responsible parent.

Yesterday, it was reported on a Bismarck Facebook group page that there was a boy spotted on State Street in Bismarck, wandering around without parents. Last week, according KFYR-TV, Minot parents were arrested for felony neglect after their child was found out wandering alone. Earlier this month, KVRR reported that a child went missing and drowned in Kathryn, North Dakota.

I had my own experience with finding a child. Last summer, while heading home from running errands, I drove right past a lone child who couldn't have been older than two. He was playing on the curb, in between two cars parked on the street. I thought, "Did I really just see that?" I couldn't believe it. I whipped around and tried to help the little boy. He either couldn't or wouldn't talk to me. I looked around for someone, but found no one.

So, I sat with him while I called the police. Suddenly, four little girls come running out of one of the town homes nearby, screaming, "That's our brother!" One of them explained how they were grilling in the back yard and he ran away. I'm thinking, "Ran away? How?" That incident was quickly solved and everyone is alright, but this is still scary, nonetheless.

Again, I know that mistakes and freak accidents happen, children shouldn't be able to wander off and get lost. Have you ever found a lost kid?