Did you know that every day almost 2300 kids go missing in America? If we talk about the yearly figure, it becomes almost 460,000. Knowing this figure is very essential as here, we will be discussing National Missing Children’s Day.
National Missing Children’s Day is a type of awareness event and people all over the world observe this day every year on 25th May. Talking about the aim and objective of this day, people on this day talk about one of the biggest matters of concern. Yes, we are referring to child abduction. Many organizations take the bold step; they conduct various events to educate parents about the safeguarding measures. They let the parents know how they can protect their children. Apart from this, this is the day when people give honor to those who have not yet been found. Many children have also been found and therefore, this day holds a tone of celebration.
Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.
Lady Bird Johnson
In short, we can say that this National Missing Children’s Day is all about remembering the missing children, and apart from this, people on this day come ahead to spread important words about child abduction. Many organizations across the globe are doing so many things to make this day more impactful. This day also works as a reminder to expand our effort to reunite the missing children and along with this; we should honor those people who are working very hard for this cause.
Background Of National Missing Children’s Day
Knowing the history of National Missing Children’s Day is very important. It was in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Missing Children’s Day in order to acknowledge those kids who go missing every year. There was a series of abductions that took place between 1979 and 1981. This incident completely shook the heart of the Americans. It was started in 1979 with the abduction of Etan Patz. He was only six years old at that time and the incident took place on 25th May 1979 in New York. He was returning home by bus; unfortunately, he was never found. Well, the police found the accused person who was Pedro Hernandez. It was in 2017 when he got a prison sentence of 25 years.
People observe National Missing Children’s Day to commemorate the disappearance of that six-year-old kid, Etan Patz. Along with this, people commemorate this day to honor other missing kids. The national media did not pay any attention when the disappearance of Etan Patz took place. Gradually, this case has got a lot of media coverage. Consequently, it increases public attention on child abductions. People start conducting public events to raise this issue. Ultimately, it led to the Missing and Exploited Children’s Movement.
The NCMEC (National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) conducts events to spread child abduction awareness among people. They spread efficient tips that will keep the children protected. Along with this, this organization also supports the victimized families.
Timeline Of National Missing Children’s Day
We have explained the timeline of National Missing Children’s Day in order to give you a concrete idea about this day.
1984- In 1984, Reve Walsh and John Walsh established National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. It is a kind of private NGO that delivers information regarding exploited and missing children.
2001- The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and Missing Children Europe recognized 25th May as the International Missing Children’s Day.
2009- The NCMEC started promoting the awareness campaigns globally. They set global messages and started promoting this. They highlighted issues regarding child abduction.
2017- Pedro Hernandez who was accused of kidnapping as well as the murder of Etan Patz was given a sentence to 25 years in prison. The trial went on for 38 years.
How You Can Observe The National Missing Children’s Day
Well, here, we will be letting you know how you can observe The National Missing Children’s Day. One of the key objectives of this day is to spread awareness about child abduction and educate people about certain safety tips.
There are certain things that parents need to follow to keep their kids safe.
- Maintaining custody documents
- Keeping the recent photos of kids handy
- Keeping dental and medical records up-to-date
- Parents should do full background checks of the caregivers
- Parents should not leave their kids especially toddlers in car seats and strollers
There are many organizations that do a lot of activities on this day. If you want to observe this day, you can work as a volunteer in those organizations. Moreover, you can share safety tips with your community and encourage others to do the same. On social media, you can share safety tips and useful posts using the MissingChildrenDay hashtag.
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