diff --git a/be/src/format/table/table_format_reader.h b/be/src/format/table/table_format_reader.h
index 8ed4ad70c11b26..45c4991962f4e8 100644
--- a/be/src/format/table/table_format_reader.h
+++ b/be/src/format/table/table_format_reader.h
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ class TableSchemaChangeHelper {
         }
 
         bool children_column_exists(std::string table_column_name) const override {
-            DCHECK(children.contains(table_column_name));
-            return children.at(table_column_name).exists;
+            auto child = children.find(table_column_name);
+            return child != children.end() && child->second.exists;
         }
 
         void add_not_exist_children(std::string table_column_name) override {
diff --git a/be/test/format/table/table_schema_change_helper_test.cpp b/be/test/format/table/table_schema_change_helper_test.cpp
index ba1d96e4d6d3c9..9611568d8a3500 100644
--- a/be/test/format/table/table_schema_change_helper_test.cpp
+++ b/be/test/format/table/table_schema_change_helper_test.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@
 namespace doris {
 class MockTableSchemaChangeHelper : public TableSchemaChangeHelper {};
 
+TEST(MockTableSchemaChangeHelper, UnknownStructChildDoesNotExist) {
+    TableSchemaChangeHelper::StructNode root;
+    root.add_children("file_column", "file_column",
+                      std::make_shared<TableSchemaChangeHelper::ScalarNode>());
+    root.add_not_exist_children("missing_file_column");
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(root.children_column_exists("file_column"));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(root.children_column_exists("missing_file_column"));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(root.children_column_exists("partition_column"));
+}
+
 TEST(MockTableSchemaChangeHelper, OrcNameNoSchemaChange) {
     std::vector<DataTypePtr> data_types;
     std::vector<std::string> column_names;