The Missing and Exploited Children's Program (Update)

• NCJ Number: 188498
• Author(s): Cathy Girouard
• Date Published: May 2001
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

This paper highlights new and updated information on the Federal Missing and Exploited Children's Program, including programs and activities funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the areas of direct services, training and technical assistance, capacity-building, research, and interagency coordination.

Abstract

Direct services are provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is a resource center and clearinghouse that helps locate and recover missing children and prevents the abduction, molestation, sexual exploitation, and victimization of children; the Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organizations, which is an alliance of 42 nonprofit organizations that supports the efforts of groups that serve missing and exploited children, their families, and the community; and Project H.O.P.E., which provides mentoring and support services to parents whose children are missing, including runaways, those abducted by strangers, and victims of domestic or international parental abductions. This paper also briefly describes the training and technical assistance provided by the following organizations: Fox Valley Technical College; School Resource Officer Standards, Training, and Technical Assistance; and Law Enforcement Technology Assistance. Also described is the capacity-building provided by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, which provides training to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of online child pornography and child enticement cases. This paper also profiles three research projects and an effort to improve interagency coordination of services for missing and exploited children.