The family of an Australian woman missing in Mexico says her two-year-old daughter is safe in an orphanage. 

The little girl is thought to have been dumped at a church in Cancun by her father but there has been no sign of her mother, 32-year-old Tahnee Shanks.

The three had been travelling together and disappeared unexpectedly earlier this week.

Tahnee’s family say her lack of contact is extremely out of character and are now planning to travel to Mexico to help in the search.

Her brother, Daniel Shanks, told Neil Breen the Australian embassy has assured Tahnee’s daughter is being looked after.

“We’ve had verification both from the embassy and the Mexican government that if we can prove we’re blood relatives, … we’ll be able to get her out of there straight away.”

Mr Shanks said his family last heard from Tahnee on Sunday, around lunchtime.

“Then she just went quiet and we haven’t been able to contact her since,” he said. “They’ve been broken up for months now.

“I believe she was going on this holiday just to keep things sort of smooth with him and something’s gone terribly wrong.

“[We’re] extremely worried because if he’s able to do that to his own child, you can only imagine Tahnee’s fate.”

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