For Immediate Release
May 24, 2019
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – FDLE recognizes National Missing Children’s Day tomorrow, Saturday, May 25, 2019.
 
“As we enter the summer months, it’s a good time for parents to remind their children about staying safe, whether they are home alone, online or playing with a new group of friends,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. 
 
KidSmartz (http://www.kidsmartz.org/) and NetSmartz (http://www.netsmartz.org) feature interactive, educational programs of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that provide age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on and offline. The websites include programs designed for children, parents and guardians, educators and law enforcement.
 
FDLE has safety tips available at  http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MCICSearch/SafetyTips.asp and online safety tips at http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/SF/Family-Safety/BPKids
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is also sharing important summer safety tips with families as the school year ends. The goal is to help ensure that during summer activities children are being cared for under the watchful eyes of trusted adults at FBI Summer Safety Tips for Parents.
 
During 2018, Florida law enforcement agencies received 27,611 reports of missing children, the vast majority of whom were safely recovered.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day in 1983, and the nation observes this day each year to mark the anniversary of the disappearance of Etan Patz from a New York City street on his way to school in 1979.
  
FDLE supports the efforts of law enforcement to recover missing children year-round with multiple programs, including its statewide AMBER Alerts and Missing Child Alerts.
 
Follow FDLE on Facebook or Twitter to be notified when a Florida AMBER or Missing Child Alert is activated or sign up to receive email or text message at www.missingchildrenalert.com.
To learn more about Florida’s AMBER Plan, visit https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/mcicsearch/Amber.asp.
Since 1999, FDLE has also held an annual Missing Children’s Day event at the Florida Capitol to honor members of law enforcement and the public whose work has been integral to the recovery efforts of missing children in the state, as well as to draw attention to still-missing children who have yet to be recovered. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for September 9, 2019.

For further information contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Jessica Cary or Jeremy Burns
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001