Congress Makes Missing And Sexually Exploited Children A Priority

The new bipartisan law Protecting Our Children Comes First Act (H.R. 2517, S.1829) was signed into law yesterday by President George W. Bush. The bill was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 408 to 3, and was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate. The bill reauthorizes funding for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) through 2013 and adds new programs and services to those already being offered by the organization.

NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has worked in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice to bring missing children home and to protect children from sexual exploitation for 24 years. Since the organization was created in 1984, it has helped recover 126,000 missing children and the recovery rate of missing children has increased from 62% in 1990 to 97 percent today. In 2007, NCMEC helped recover more children than any other year in the organization’s 24 year history. The bill signed into law by President Bush authorizes up to $40 million per year in federal funding to NCMEC to support 19 specific programs, mandated by statute, and designed to bring more missing children home and keep every child safe.

Leadership

Heading the effort that resulted in the passage of this important legislation were longtime child advocates Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in the Senate, and Representatives Nick Lampson (D-Texas) and Judy Biggert (R-Illinois) in the House, along with Chairwoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-New York) of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont): “As a father and grandfather, I can imagine that an abducted child is any parent’s worst nightmare,” Leahy said. “Unfortunately, it is a nightmare that happens all too often. These families need the assistance of the American people and a helping hand from Congress. I am proud that Congress and the President have also realized their obligation to our Nation’s children by supporting the Protecting Our Children Comes First Act.”

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah): "For many years, I have worked closely with NCMEC and its founder, John Walsh. Together we have celebrated many important legislative victories that have improved this nation's response to crimes against children. I am pleased and proud to have helped pass this vital bill which will do so much to protect our children."

Representative Nick Lampson (D-Texas): “Child safety is a national priority that deserves every weapon in our arsenal; and every tool in our tool box,” said Lampson, founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus. “Parents form the front line when it comes to keeping children safe, but child safety is a shared responsibility. The funding we have provided will increase resources for law enforcement to capture, prosecute and incarcerate the worst of criminals that work to harm our children.”

Representative Judy Biggert (R-Illinois): “It seems like every time I open the newspaper, I read another story of a child that has been victimized,” said U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Missing & Exploited Children. “Clearly more can and must be done. That’s why this bill is so important. It will provide the National Center with the tools and resources it needs to help keep our children safe, and it addresses the modern, online threats that face today’s youth. I’m very pleased that Congress and the President have been able to unite behind this critical legislation.”

Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-New York): Chairwoman McCarthy added, “the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has done vital work for nearly a quarter century. The risks that modern children face today are daunting and unprecedented. It was important that we not just reauthorize NCMEC, but that we provide clear, specific mandates to address the issues facing today’s children and their safety. I look forward to continued collaboration with NCMEC in working to keep our nation’s children, families, and communities safe.”

19 Core Programs and Services

Since 1984, NCMEC has operated the national resource center and clearinghouse on missing and exploited children; operated the national missing children’s hotline; coordinated public and private programs to locate, recover, or reunite missing children with their families; and provided training and technical assistance to law enforcement.

Today, Congress has mandated that NCMEC perform 19 specific functions on behalf of the federal government:

Operate the official national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and exploited children;

Operate a national 24-hour toll-free missing children’s hotline;

Coordinate public and private programs that locate, recover, or reunite missing children with their families;

Provide technical assistance and training to law enforcement;

Provide assistance to families and law enforcement in locating and recovering missing and exploited children, nationally and internationally;

Provide analytical support to law enforcement through searching public records databases in locating and recovering missing and exploited children and helping to locate and identify abductors;

Provide direct on-site technical assistance to law enforcement agencies in child abduction and exploitation cases;

Provide forensic assistance to law enforcement in the identification of unidentified deceased children through facial reconstruction of skeletal remains;

Track the incidence of attempted child abductions to identify links and patterns, and provide such information to law enforcement;

Provide training and assistance to law enforcement agencies in identifying and locating non-compliant sex offenders;

Facilitate the deployment of the National Emergency Child Locator Center to assist in reuniting missing children with their families during periods of national disasters;

Operate a CyberTipline for reporting Internet-related child sexual exploitation;
Work with law enforcement, Internet service providers, electronic payment service providers, and others to reduce the distribution on the Internet of images and videos of sexually exploited children;

Operate a child victim identification program to assist law enforcement in identifying victims of child pornography and other sexual crimes;

Develop and disseminate programs to the general public, schools, public officials, youth-service organizations, and nonprofit organizations on the prevention of child abduction and sexual exploitation; and Internet safety;

Provide an annual report to the Justice Department regarding the number of missing children reported to NCMEC in four categories: total missing; nonfamily abductions; parental kidnappings; and recoveries;

Work with governments and nonprofit agencies to use school records and birth certificates to locate missing children;

Assist governments, nonprofit agencies and individuals in providing legal, restaurant, lodging and transportation services to benefit missing and exploited children and their families; and
Provide information about model programs, services and legislation that benefit missing and exploited children.

Canon U.S.A., The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children And The New York Yankees Once Again Join Forces To Help Protect Kids

Canon U.S.A., Inc., The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and the New York Yankees are once again combining efforts to help raise greater awareness of issues related to locating missing children at Canon’s fifth annual promotional night at Yankee Stadium, when the Yankees take on the Baltimore Orioles.

During pre-game ceremonies, Ted Nakamura, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A., will present John Walsh, co-founder of NCMEC and host of the television series “America’s Most Wanted,” with a check for $760,000, representing the amount of money raised and invested by Canon U.S.A. on behalf of NCMEC.

"Canon’s commitment to building a better world for future generations is echoed in our corporate philosophy, Kyosei – all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future – and we can find no cause more worthy than the protection of our most precious resource, our children," said Joe Adachi, president and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A.. "For the fifth year now, Canon has worked with NCMEC and the New York Yankees to bring into focus the many ways digital cameras, printers and photos can play a key role in helping to locate missing children. To date, Canon’s support of NCMEC has contributed to the recovery of 167 missing children."

Since 1998, Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC have collaborated to educate the public about the growing issue of child abduction. The Canon4Kids program, a partnership between Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC, donates product to help law enforcement quickly disseminate photos and information about missing children, produces PSAs with missing children photos, and educates parents about tips for taking and maintaining updated photos of their children.

"Time is the enemy in the search for a missing child. So, we need to move now. We cannot wait until tomorrow," said Ernie Allen, president and chief executive officer of NCMEC. “For the past ten years, Canon USA has worked hand-in-hand with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and provided vital technology to police departments across America. As a result law enforcement is better prepared, responding more swiftly and effectively than ever before, and more missing children are coming home safely than at any time in the nation's history."

In cooperation with Canon4Kids, the New York Yankees sponsor the “Tag-A-Kid Program” at Yankee Stadium. Through this initiative, wristbands are offered at customer service booth locations throughout the Stadium to assist security personnel in identifying seating locations of lost children and reuniting them with their parents. Promotion of the program is featured on the centerfield matrix and DiamondVision boards, as well as on the new light-emitting diode (LED) side scoreboards.

As part of the Canon4Kids program, more than 1,800 pieces of donated Canon equipment (digital cameras, fax-phones, printers and scanners) have been distributed to law-enforcement agencies in 44 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and internationally. The program also includes the placement of public service announcements with photographs of missing children in newspapers and magazines across the country to help in the recovery process.

Canon U.S.A. also protects future generations by helping to preserve nature’s most valuable resources through the support of a wide range of environmental and youth programs. Canon U.S.A. supports the Canon Envirothon, one of North America’s largest high school environmental education competitions; the PBS Nature series; supports Yellowstone National Park; and many additional local programs. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/environment

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Participates in the Giving Challenge

WHEN:
Now through 3 p.m. EST Thursday, January 31, 2008
WHAT:
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is participating in the Giving Challenge, an online fundraising campaign presented by Global Giving, The Case Foundation and PARADE Magazine. The contest encourages individuals to get as many people as they can to donate to their cause by using everyday online activities such as e-mailing, blogging and social networking.
WHY:
The eight individuals who inspire the most people to give will each get $50,000 for their charity.
WHO:
Anyone can donate to a cause using a valid credit card or other form of payment accepted by the donation processing partners Network for Good and GlobalGiving. To “champion a cause” you must be a legal U.S. resident age 13 years or older.
WHERE:
Visit http://www.parade.com/givingchallenge to get started.