When I was growing up, there were always rumors of a kidnapper driving around town in a van (the color of the van would change from time to time, but it was usually brown), my family would get mailing with pictures of missing kids on them, and milk cartons had pictures of missing kids as well. In my mind there was a kidnapping was an epidemic. Today the big fear seems to be online child predators. I’m not sure if much has really changed, but there will always be missing kids, and the best way to find them and get them back in a safe place will be to get the word out. That’s what the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children does. They’re an Alexandria, VA based non-profit that “opened in 1984 to serve as the nation’s clearinghouse on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children.” In fact, the organization is authorized by Congress to assist law enforcement in a variety of ways.

No More Missing Kids

The numbers say that “stereotypical” kidnapping (the kind I was concerned about when I was a kid) isn’t all that common (115 instances), but the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has recorded more than 800,000 instances of children reported missing. The Center has played in a role in recovering nearly 200,000 of those children. The cool thing is that they’ve become dramatically better at recovery. In 1990 they had a 62% success rate, and today it is 97%. Maybe you can help them increase that number even more. Take a look at some kids who are currently missing, or visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Careers page. Right now they’re looking for a National Outreach Coordinator.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• MissingKids.com
• Jobs at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s History
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Blog
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Annual Reports

What have you heard about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children?

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• outreach
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• Virginia

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