A man has been charged after three children — who were the subject of an amber alert when they could not be found — were left in a car parked near a Queensland service station.

The three children — a girl aged 3 and boys aged 5 and 6 — went missing from a home in Paradise Point on the Gold Coast at 4pm on Sunday.

Police issued an amber alert at 3am on Monday, before the children were found safe later on Monday morning.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

The children had been inside a blue Hyundai i30 parked near a 7-Eleven service station at Mount Warren Park in Logan, about 30km from where they went missing.

About 7am on Monday, the children got out of the car and were spotted by a 7-Eleven staff member, who alerted police.

“The children actually went to the 7-Eleven. The information we have is that they were in the vehicle and they walked to the 7-Eleven which is nearby and obviously the employee there has contacted police,” Superintendent Mark White said.

“They will be medically assessed because the information we have is they were in the car overnight by themselves.”

The children’s 27-year-old father was later charged with three counts each of cruelty to children under 16 years and leaving a child under 12 unattended, with police alleging he failed to provide reasonable provision for the supervision and care of the three children.

“We are eternally grateful those children have been located safely,” White said.

“You can’t leave children unattended, especially children of that age.”

The father is due to face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday.