If a child is taken or retained for not less than how many hours, the agency shall immediately make a reasonable effort to locate the child?

• A. 24 Hours
• B. 48 Hours
• C. 72 Hours
• D. 12 Hours

Answer: (B)

The rule being tested is when a missing or taken child triggers an intensified effort to locate. Once a child has been taken or retained for at least 48 hours, the agency must immediately mount a reasonable locate effort. This 48-hour threshold reflects the reality that the likelihood of a safe recovery changes with time, so resources and interagency coordination are mobilized quickly after two days. In practice, this means rapid information sharing, alerts to other agencies and partners, canvassing, reviewing surveillance and leads, and using all appropriate channels to locate the child as quickly as possible. Shorter thresholds (like 24 hours) would trigger earlier action, but the policy specifies 48 hours as the point at which an immediate, heightened effort is required; longer thresholds (such as 72 hours) would risk delaying important actions.