Kate McCann, whose daughter Madeleine went missing during a family holiday to Portugal in 2007 (Reuters

The mother of one of New Zealand's oldest missing children cases has appeared alongside Kate McCann in a plea for more support of families of missing children.

It has been 19 years since Sarah Godwin's son, Quentin, went missing in Titirangi on his way to an after-school job.

Both women said there is not enough emotional support for the families of missing children.

It has been four years since Madeleine McCann went missing in a highly publicised disappearance and her mother can only hope she will not end up in the same position as Mrs Godwin.

"When someone you love goes missing, you are left with unimaginable, unending heartbreak, confusion, guilt and worry," said Mrs McCann.

"In addition to the reassurance that everything possible is being done to find their missing loved one, families need support."

Their plea comes as British parliament holds an inquiry into whether enough is done to support the families of missing children - both legally and financially.

Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of the charity Missing People, says after 48 hours, relatives should be given support similar to that given to victims of serious crimes.

"It is terrible at the moment because if your house is burgled and your DVD goes missing, you may get an offer of support... but if your child goes missing, you may get nothing," says Mr Houghton-Brown.

In New Zealand, police receive more than 8,000 reports of missing people a year. While most are found, many are never seen again.

While the inquiry may go some way toward offering monetary support for families of missing children, it will not bring the answers these mothers desperately want to know.

"We did not choose to be figureheads for this devastating issue," says Mrs McCann.

"That fate fell to us the day Quentin and Madeleine disappeared."

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