Focus on Child Safety this May 25, National Missing Children’s Day

One of the greatest fears of any parent or caregiver is for a child to go missing. It’s a fear that for far too many becomes reality. According to FBI statistics, in 2016 there were a staggering 465,000 reports of missing children made to law enforcement.

“At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), we believe that one missing child is one too many,” said NCMEC spokesperson and child advocate, Callahan Walsh. “That’s why we’re grateful to Mobile Edge for its commitment to helping bring missing children home and giving hope to searching families.”

Each May 25, the United States observes National Missing Children’s Day, a tradition begun in 1983 to focus attention on and remember all missing children, as well as encourage families and others to make child safety a priority.

Children go missing for a number of reasons: they run away, they are abducted by family members (often as a result of divorce), they are abducted by strangers, or they simply become lost.

As caregivers and responsible members of society, it’s critical that we become more aware of child safety and the ways we can prevent child abduction and exploitation.

· Maintain an up-to-date, quality photograph and descriptive information about your child. A Child ID Kit, prepared by the NCMEC, is available for download at Mobile Edge’s website. It’s an easy way pull together descriptions of your child’s identifying features, medical information, and photographs.

· Get involved in your child’s life, online and off, as well as monitoring your child’s whereabouts. NCMEC’s Take 25 Initiative encourages parents, guardians, and educators to Take 25 minutes to talk to children about safety.

· Supervise your child’s Internet use. Many predators lurk online. Set ground rules covering when your kids can go online, what sites they can visit, and limits on texting. Be sure to report abuses (cyberbullies or potential predators) to the website where the offense took place, the texting service, law enforcement, or www.cybertipline.com.

· Many missing children are located through the diligence of others who identify them because they spot them riding in a car, on a subway, at the mall, etc. NCMEC provides a useful online tool where you can browse images of missing children by state.

· Take notice whenever an AMBER alert is sounded. You’ll often see notices on highway signs, hear/see them on TV and radio, and even receive alerts on your cell phone. Since December 2015 there have been 800 children rescued and returned specifically because of AMBER Alerts.

· Support NCMEC. For example, for the months of May and June 2017, Mobile Edge’s Mobile Edge Cares initiative will donate 10% of MobileEdge.com sales in support of NCMEC through proceeds from the sales of our NCMEC Caring Case Collection.

“Children are this country’s greatest resource,” says Mobile Edge President and CEO G. David Cartwright. “That’s why Mobile Edge remains active year-in and year-out to raise awareness, build support, and help prevent child abduction and exploitation, as well as reunite missing children with their families.”