Establish the "Indigo/Parker Alert”:Save Missing Autistic & Vulnerable Children
The Issue
Every single day, parents like me live with a silent, heavy weight on our chests. It is a constant, hyper-vigilant fear that every autism parent understands: in a split second, a lock turns, a hand slips away, or a child wanders toward immediate danger. When elopement happens, time is not just a factor,it is the difference between life and death.
When a neurodivergent child goes missing, they aren't running away,they are wandering toward a sensory trigger, water, or traffic, completely unaware of the peril they are in. Yet under Canada’s current emergency management protocols, public emergency broadcast alerts (such as Amber Alerts) are strictly reserved for confirmed criminal abductions.This creates a terrifying, life-threatening gap for our non-speaking autistic children, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and seniors with dementia who wander into immediate harm without evidence of foul play.
We are launching this petition to urge British Columbia and the Government of Canada to establish a dedicated public safety protocol: The Indigo/Parker Alert System.
As a mother who advocates for hundreds of neurodivergent families alongwith all the other autism parents/caregivers,refuse to sit quietly while our emergency response tools fail to protect how our children actually go missing.
British Columbia must act now to protect vulnerable residents and help lead a unified national standard across Canada.
A HEARTBREAKING REALITY BACKED BY DATA
This petition is born out of lived experience, but it is firmly grounded in critical, peer-reviewed data and statistics recognized across Canada:
• High Incidence of Elopement: 49% of autistic children attempt to elope or wander after age 4, a statistic officially recognized by Autism Canada.
• The Flaw in Current Systems: Over 70% of elopements occur directly from home or school with zero evidence of foul play. Because current systems require proof of abduction, law enforcement lacks an immediate public broadcast tool for non-abduction crises.
•Severe Communication Barriers: More than 33% of autistic individuals who wander are non-speaking and completely unable to communicate their name, address, or ask for help when lost.
• Immediate Lethal Hazards: 65% of wandering incidents involve extreme danger from traffic, and 24% involve water hazards.
• Drowning Statistics: Peer-reviewed research from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health confirms that autistic children are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general pediatric population.
HOW THE "INDIGO/PARKER ALERT” SAVES LIVES
The proposed Indigo/Parker Alert framework is designed as a distinct, specialized tool that operates alongside,rather than altering or diluting,existing Amber Alert criteria:
1. Targeted Deployment Criteria: Authorized when a vulnerable, non-speaking, or medically complex person who cannot self-rescue is missing under high-risk conditions.
2. Alert Fatigue Prevention: Uses strict, standardized risk assessments conducted by law enforcement so the public takes every notification seriously.
3. Inter-Jurisdictional Leadership: Establishes provincial momentum in British Columbia while building toward a uniform national standard across all 13 provinces and territories.
OUR DIRECT POLICY DEMANDS
We respectfully call upon Premier David Eby, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister Jodie Wickens, and leaders across Canada to take immediate action:
1. Enact Provincial Legislation: Formally establish the "Indigo /Parker Alert" framework under provincial public safety and emergency management legislation in British Columbia.
2. Empower Law Enforcement Agencies: Provide police services with explicit legal authorization to deploy regional public emergency broadcasts immediately when a vulnerable person is missing in dangerous conditions.
3. Establish a Unified National Framework: Coordinate federally to standardize Indigo/Parker Alert criteria across all provinces and territories.
Sign this petition today to demand that British Columbia and Canada enact the Indigo/Parker Alert now.
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The Issue
Every single day, parents like me live with a silent, heavy weight on our chests. It is a constant, hyper-vigilant fear that every autism parent understands: in a split second, a lock turns, a hand slips away, or a child wanders toward immediate danger. When elopement happens, time is not just a factor,it is the difference between life and death.
When a neurodivergent child goes missing, they aren't running away,they are wandering toward a sensory trigger, water, or traffic, completely unaware of the peril they are in. Yet under Canada’s current emergency management protocols, public emergency broadcast alerts (such as Amber Alerts) are strictly reserved for confirmed criminal abductions.This creates a terrifying, life-threatening gap for our non-speaking autistic children, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and seniors with dementia who wander into immediate harm without evidence of foul play.
We are launching this petition to urge British Columbia and the Government of Canada to establish a dedicated public safety protocol: The Indigo/Parker Alert System.
As a mother who advocates for hundreds of neurodivergent families alongwith all the other autism parents/caregivers,refuse to sit quietly while our emergency response tools fail to protect how our children actually go missing.
British Columbia must act now to protect vulnerable residents and help lead a unified national standard across Canada.
A HEARTBREAKING REALITY BACKED BY DATA
This petition is born out of lived experience, but it is firmly grounded in critical, peer-reviewed data and statistics recognized across Canada:
• High Incidence of Elopement: 49% of autistic children attempt to elope or wander after age 4, a statistic officially recognized by Autism Canada.
• The Flaw in Current Systems: Over 70% of elopements occur directly from home or school with zero evidence of foul play. Because current systems require proof of abduction, law enforcement lacks an immediate public broadcast tool for non-abduction crises.
•Severe Communication Barriers: More than 33% of autistic individuals who wander are non-speaking and completely unable to communicate their name, address, or ask for help when lost.
• Immediate Lethal Hazards: 65% of wandering incidents involve extreme danger from traffic, and 24% involve water hazards.
• Drowning Statistics: Peer-reviewed research from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health confirms that autistic children are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general pediatric population.
HOW THE "INDIGO/PARKER ALERT” SAVES LIVES
The proposed Indigo/Parker Alert framework is designed as a distinct, specialized tool that operates alongside,rather than altering or diluting,existing Amber Alert criteria:
1. Targeted Deployment Criteria: Authorized when a vulnerable, non-speaking, or medically complex person who cannot self-rescue is missing under high-risk conditions.
2. Alert Fatigue Prevention: Uses strict, standardized risk assessments conducted by law enforcement so the public takes every notification seriously.
3. Inter-Jurisdictional Leadership: Establishes provincial momentum in British Columbia while building toward a uniform national standard across all 13 provinces and territories.
OUR DIRECT POLICY DEMANDS
We respectfully call upon Premier David Eby, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister Jodie Wickens, and leaders across Canada to take immediate action:
1. Enact Provincial Legislation: Formally establish the "Indigo /Parker Alert" framework under provincial public safety and emergency management legislation in British Columbia.
2. Empower Law Enforcement Agencies: Provide police services with explicit legal authorization to deploy regional public emergency broadcasts immediately when a vulnerable person is missing in dangerous conditions.
3. Establish a Unified National Framework: Coordinate federally to standardize Indigo/Parker Alert criteria across all provinces and territories.
Sign this petition today to demand that British Columbia and Canada enact the Indigo/Parker Alert now.
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Petition created on August 5, 2026