Describes the federal services, programs, publications, and training sessions that address child sexual exploitation issues, child pornography, child abduction, Internet crime, and missing children cases. The development of this directory was coordinated by the Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children, which was established in 1995 to serve as an advocate for children, to coordinate Federal services and resources, and to promote cooperation and collaboration.

The Task Force includes representatives from 16 Federal agencies and 2 private agencies that work directly with cases that involve missing, abducted, and exploited children and their families.

Foreword:

Unfortunately, children are reported missing, abducted, or exploited daily. Our response to these offenses must be swift, efficient, and effective. The coordination and collaboration of federal activities relating to missing and exploited children is an important tool in fighting these crimes. The Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children’s mission is to coordinate federal resources and services to meet the needs of missing, abducted, and exploited children and their families. As such, it plays an important role in responding to those who have been offended.

In the 11 years since the Task Force came into existence, we have made great strides in our quest to make our country safer for our children. The passage into law of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act in 2003 gave us a powerful instrument in eradicating crime. The law strengthened law enforcement’s ability to investigate, prosecute, and punish violent crimes committed against children. In addition, the law formally established the role of the federal government in the AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert System. This system is operational in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and internationally.

We have many technological innovations, such as secondary distribution and wireless alerts that send the public a rapid message and diminish the chances of a crime succeeding. We have implemented programs to address and fight these heinous crimes. The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program is a national network of 46 task forces that include personnel from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. ICAC strongly supports Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a new federal initiative aimed at combating the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. PSC and ICAC illustrate the importance of partnerships in our drive to keep our children safe.

However, the problems of missing, abducted, and exploited children are complex and multifaceted. Communities, along with the federal government, must be galvanized into action. Crimes against children severely strain the resources of the investigating agency. The publication of this fifth edition of the Directory is one valuable resource in our action plan. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the contents of the Directory and use it in your work with other agencies and communities in protecting our children. Coordination and collaboration are critical in keeping our children safe.

Thousands of the resource directories have been distributed and I applaud the Task Force for its efforts in keeping the information current and accessible. I invite you to use this Directory as we work together to protect our children.

J. Robert Flores
Administrator
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Download Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited Children, Fifth Edition

PDF format, 1MB, 173Pages.

Introduction:

On May 25, 1995, the 12th annual Missing Children’s Day, Former Attorney General Janet Reno announced the creation of the Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children. The mission of the Task Force is to coordinate federal resources and services to effectively address the needs of missing, abducted, and exploited children and their families. The Task Force does the following:

• Serves as an advocate for missing and exploited children and their families.
• Initiates positive change to enhance services and resources for missing and exploited children, their families, and the agencies and organizations that serve them.
• Promotes communication and cooperation among agencies and organizations at the federal level.
• Serves as the focal point for coordination of services and resources.

The Task Force includes representatives from 16 federal agencies and 2 private agencies that work directly with cases involving missing, abducted, and exploited children and their families. As used in this Directory, the term “missing child” refers to any youth under the age of 18 whose whereabouts are unknown to his or her legal guardian. This includes children who have been abducted or kidnapped by a family or a nonfamily member, a child who has run away from home, a child who is a throwaway, or a child who is otherwise missing. It also includes both national and international abductions. The term “child exploitation” refers to any child under the age of 18 who has been exploited or victimized for profit or personal advantage. This includes children who are victims of pornography, prostitution, sexual tourism, trafficking, and sexual abuse.

Missing and/or exploited child cases are extremely challenging and frustrating to the practitioners handling these cases. The devastating impact occurs simultaneously on so many fronts—child, family, community, law enforcement, public and private agencies—each one looking for immediate answers. Timing is crucial; a rapid response increases the chance of successful case resolution.

The federal Directory is one effective resource that can be used by agencies and organizations involved in the safe recovery of missing children. The Directory contains current information and links to other agencies that can help in finding a solution. It describes the role of each Task Force agency in the location and recovery of missing and exploited children, the types of services and support that are available, the procedures for accessing these services, and instructions for obtaining additional information. To make the information more accessible, the next section, Where To Get Help, categorizes the types of assistance offered by each agency. In addition, telephone quick reference cards can be removed and kept where most needed; addresses and phone numbers are correct as of the date of publication. Agency information is listed in alphabetical order.

The Directory is intended to provide added information and linkages to increase and promote agency coordination. It is one more tool in aiding practitioners in dealing with the many challenges of returning children safely.

The resource Directory is available from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse:
P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849–6000 800–851–3420 301–519–5500 (international calls) 877–712–9279 or 301–947–8374 (TTY for hearing impaired)

Visit Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Website

Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children

U.S. Department of Defense
Family Advocacy Program Legal Assistance Offices

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Family and Youth Services Bureau Children’s Bureau Office on Child Abuse and Neglect

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Secret Service/Forensic Services Division

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of the Inspector General

U.S. Department of Justice
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Federal Bureau of Investigation Office for Victims of Crime Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/ Child Protection Division U.S. National Central Bureau (INTERPOL

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs

U.S. Department of State
Office of Children’s Issues

U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Association of Missing and Exploited Children’s Organizations, Inc. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment