Poster, Essay, and National Anthem Contest
The National Missing Children’s Day poster contest sponsored by the United States’ Department of Justice’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Office, the essay contest sponsored by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Department of Education, and the Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation, and the National Anthem Contest sponsored by the Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation are to be held in 2025.
The goal of these contests and events is to provide teachers, families, and communities with the opportunity to discuss ways for children to stay safe from abduction. Students are invited to watch the Florida Missing Children’s Day ceremony on the Florida Channel or via the web at
www.theFloridaChannel.org. This event will occur on Monday, September 8, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum in Tallahassee, Florida in which the poster selected as the statewide winner will be on display, the statewide essay contest will read their essay, and the national anthem contest winner will sing “The Star Spangled-Banner” at the ceremony.
Poster Contest
Please join us in participating in the poster contest for 2025. The poster contest is
for 5th graders across Florida. The state-wide poster contest winner will have their poster made into a billboard that will be shown around the state. In addition, the state-wide poster winner will receive an award and an award package on Florida Missing Children’s Day. Please click the below link to download the poster contest flyer and the 41st Annual Poster Contest Packet. We are looking forward to the poster contest submissions. All original posters must be mailed to FDLE at the address in the packet.
The Deadline for the Poster Contest is Friday, February 14, 2025.
Poster Contest Flyer
Poster Contest Packet – REQUIRED
Spanish Version of the Poster Contest Flyer
Spanish Version of the Poster Contest Packet – REQUIRED
Essay Contest
Please join us in participating in the essay contest for 2025. The essay contest is for 5th graders across Florida. The state-wide essay contest winner will be invited to attend Florida Missing Children's Day on Monday, September 8th, receive an award and receive an award package that includes a $100 dollar check. We ask that schools only submit 1 essay entry per school. Homeschooled and after school students may submit their submissions directly. Please submit all entries to FMCD@fdle.state.fl.us. Please click below to download the Essay Contest Packet. We are looking forward to the essay contest submissions.
The Deadline for the Essay Contest is Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
Essay Contest Flyer
Essay Contest Packet – REQUIRED
National Anthem Contests
Please join us in participating in the National Anthem contest for 2025. All children in 1st thru 8th grade are invited to participate. Applicants may sing solo or in a group up to 3 individuals. The winner(s) of this contest will be invited to attend and sing the National Anthem at Florida Missing Children's Day on Monday, September 8, 2025, at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum in Tallahassee, Florida.
To be considered for the contest, you must upload your application and video singing the first and second verse of the National Anthem. The deadline for this contest is Friday, May 2, 2025.
Important Note: If you are selected as the state winner, prize is contingent on singing at Florida Missing Children's Day on Monday, September 8, 2025. The winner is expected to sing all FOUR verses of the National Anthem at the beginning of the ceremony. The state-wide winner will receive a signed certificate with the Florida Governor's signature, 1 hotel night stay in Tallahassee on Sunday, September 10th, reimbursement for 1 vehicle's worth of gas at the state contract rate, and 2 individual meal reimbursement at the state contract rate. Please note that if a group participates, the prize, hotel reimbursement and meal reimbursement will be split between winners. Winner families will be expected to pay the difference.
2025 National Anthem Contest Application
2025 National Anthem Contest Flyer
SEND APPLICATION, VIDEO OF CHILD SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM'S FIRST AND SECOND VERSE TO FMCDNATIONALANTHEM@GMAIL.COM. If you have any questions, please call the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Florida Missing Children's Day coordinator at 850-739-9223.