2023's Florida Missing Children's Day Annual Ceremony will be held on Monday, September 11th, at 10 AM on the courtyard of the Florida Capitol building.
2022-2023 Florida Missing Children's Day Award Nominations
25th Annual Florida Missing Children’s Day
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) is now accepting nominations for the 2022-2023 Florida Missing Children's Day (FMCD) Award Ceremony. FMCD features a formal ceremony in remembrance of Florida's missing and an awards ceremony in which we recognize citizens, law enforcement officers, and K9 trailing teams for their exemplary efforts when investigating missing persons. Governor Ron DeSantis will address victim families, children, non-profit missing person groups, law enforcement officers, and legislators who will be in attendance. During the ceremony, law enforcement officers, child heroes and others are recognized for acting to rescue missing children or prevent abductions. FMCD has a second component that promotes child safety. FDLE attends multiple events across the state to promote child safety. You can find these event locations at fmcdf.org once they are scheduled.
Please take a moment to consider individuals, who have gone above and beyond, for these prestigious awards. To view and print each nomination form, please click on the links below:
The nominations must be returned by the deadline, which is Friday, May 19th, 2023.
To submit FMCD nomination forms, please email the completed nomination forms as an attachment to fmcd@fdle.state.fl.us. You may also fax the forms to (850) 410-8744 or mail the hard copies to the following address:
Attention: Florida Missing Children's Day Coordinator
FDLE/MEPIC
P. O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32308-1489
The FMCD winners will be selected by the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board. The awards will be presented at the formal ceremony on Monday, September 11th, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee. For further information, please contact the Florida Missing Children's Coordinator at (850) 544-8536 or send an email to: fmcd@fdle.state.fl.us.
Florida Statute 683.23
View the Florida Missing Children's Day videos at the
FDLE Florida Missing Children's Day Collection
Florida Missing Children's Day Foundation
A Time of Remembrance, Recognition, and Hope.
As proclaimed by Resolution of the Florida Legislature, the "first ever" Florida Missing Children's Day was held on Monday, September 13, 1999. Each year parents, children, law enforcement officers and citizens convene on the steps of the Old Capitol Building in Tallahassee to remember Florida's missing children who are still missing and those who will never come home again. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and FDLE Commissioner are invited as speakers.
The objective of this day is to raise awareness of Florida's currently missing children, to educate the public on child safety and abduction prevention, and to recognize those individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the missing children issue.
There are two main components of this Day: 1) a formal ceremony in remembrance of Florida's past and present missing children and in recognition of those citizens and law enforcement officers who have gone above and beyond in missing children investigations; and 2) a child identification/safety fair in which children will be fingerprinted, photographed and provided with child safety materials for both themselves and their parents.
The second Monday in September of each year has been designated as "Florida Missing Children's Day" by the Florida Legislature. For exact dates and other questions, please contact the Florida Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 1-888-356-4774.