When Angels Go Missing

As the Holiday season has come upon us we are busier than usual running around shopping and trying to meet deadlines for travel and get those extra hours of time with those we love. During this rush to enjoy we should keep a hard reminder close to our hearts. Often when we are out traveling and shopping we get so caught up in what we need to get done that we forget to pay attention to what we should be doing that we take for granted. Our children are a part of our everyday lives when shopping or traveling .Sometimes finding an at home sitter is out of the question or to short of notice causes us to bring our kids along on a trip to the store or to run errands or travel.

We take for granted that our children generally listen to what we are saying to them, for example stay there,don't move, or I will be right over here. Then it happens. You go to look for them and softly call them by name, then you walk down another aisle and start to feel your heart beating faster and you start to yell their name. It has happened a fear no parent evre wants your child has been abducted only 15 feet from you. Right now across the country there is a minimum of over 400 open cases logged for missing children this is within the past couple of days. This is a fear that sets in almost every parents mind and sends a chill down their spine to think of,but sometimes we get caught up and loose sight that this is not a perfect world. Predators wait for this moment when we seem caught up or off guard and thats when they make their move.

Since it's formation in 1984 The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have handled over 1.8 million cases and worked over 94,000 cases and recovered 78,000 missing children. It is hard to believe that there have been this many children abducted or gone missing but it has happened.
Some resources we have to help us are the NCMEC which can be reached at NCMEC.org 24 hours a day. Another great source is none other than America's Most Wanted who have a toll free number 1-800-THE-LOST and they will work non stop to investigate or relay information pertaining to missing children to local authorities.

Lets not forget that you can contact your local Police dept with any information concerning missing or exploited children and you can remain anonymous.
The main thing we would like to do is prevent any of this from ever happening by talking to our children and creating a plan in the event that they are ever confronted with this situation of a stranger approaching them or trying to lure them from a public place or away from us. A plan is something a predator never expects any one to have because they love the element of surprise. Children often get information from schools and when local law enforcement visits their classes and this is great but we need to let them know we are just as aware and let them share what they have learned.

Some things you can do to help assist in the event this happens to your child would be a finger print kit which helps law enforcement track and identify children, another would be DNA kits such as hair or finger nail clippings and always keep an updated photo of your children with you at all times. Many children in this day of technology even have cell phones. Make it a point to let them know in an event they are confronted to dial 911 and place the phone in their pocket with the cell phones signal many can be traced by satelite relay and assist law enforcement.

Many companies and states have a couple of items already in place to assist with the abduction or missing children. One great one is Team Adam which is an on site immediate response found in Wal-Mart and some other retailers which initiates the locking of doors and the immediate search for a reported missing child. Remember any time you are shopping and you loose track of your child time is of the essence. Take a quick search of your close area then immediately inform the store you cannot locate your child and you need assistance. Another valuable resource is The Amber Alert which once a missing or abducted child has been confirmed there is an immediate state to state alert sent via television,radio,highway display boards and in some states even over the local lottery terminals which is viewed by thousands of employees in convenience stores which is a likely place for a predator on the run to stop unnoticed.

I do not write this to scare you simply to pass some information that will possibly help our children spend years of Holidays and special days with us all.
With the thought of all the things that we have threatening our children there is some good news as far as the resources we have to combat predators from abducting children and teens. Now is the time if you have not already to take the time and help protect your children.

Also remember for help with these issues you can contact your local Family Advocacy Services who can offer technical assistance referals or crisis intervention.