MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A Division Of The
Department of Public Safety
Public Information and Education Division - PO Box 568 - Jefferson City, MO 65102

NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Cpl. Erik Eidson
Missing Persons Unit Supervisor
(573) 526-6178

May 18, 2011
EMPHASIS: National Missing Children’s Day Child ID Event Scheduled

In honor of National Missing Children’s Day, the public is invited to attend a special Child Identification event on May 25, 2011, at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Safety Education Center, 1510 East Elm Street, Jefferson City, MO.

Parents and guardians will be able to bring their children to the Safety Education Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 25 to have child identification cards made. The cards include a current photograph and fingerprint of the child, as well as identifying information and parent contact information. Parents will be able to take the card with them that day and are asked to keep the card with them in case of an emergency. The identification cards can be given to law enforcement in the event the child is taken or runs away, or to provide photo identification for the child when traveling. There is no charge for the ID cards. Attendees of the event should park in front of the Patrol’s main building (Waggoner Building) at the General Headquarters complex or in the parking lot on the west side of the building, and use the Safety Education Center entrance on the west side.

This special event is being sponsored by the Patrol’s Missing Persons Unit as a way to bring more attention to the plight of over 500 children currently missing in Missouri. Each year on May 25, Missourians are asked to remember all of the lost children who stare back each day from posters and websites. These are the faces of children who have been stolen from their families, run away, or simply been abandoned. Regardless of the reason, these missing youth face grave danger with each passing day.

President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed National Missing Children’s Day on May 25, 1983. It now serves as an annual reminder to Missouri and the nation that everyone can play a part in bringing a missing child home and in preventing the occurrence of future missing children. All Missouri citizens are encouraged to drive with their headlights on throughout the day on May 25, 2011, to “light the way home” for missing youth.

In memory of all missing children, the Missouri Missing Persons Unit reminds all parents and guardians to talk to children about child safety issues. In the same manner as reminding children to look both ways before crossing the street, children should be reminded often of the following safety rules:

CHECK FIRST: Check first with a trusted adult before going anywhere or accepting anything from anyone.
TAKE A BUDDY: Don’t go out alone; always take a friend. If a child MUST go out alone, remind them to call first, stay on a protected path, and check in upon arrival.
SAY NO: Know that it is okay to say, “NO!” Always tell a trusted adult if something makes them scared or uncomfortable.
BE SAFE: Remind children they always have the right to be safe.

Parents and guardians should keep an emergency child identification kit on hand. To compile a child identification kit at home, simply place a quality photograph, such as a school picture, in a file with up-to-date information outlining the child’s height, weight, date of birth, hair color, eye color, guardian information, address, and distinguishing features such as scars, moles, birthmarks, glasses, etc. Since children grow quickly and change quickly, the information should be updated at least once a year.
Two other critical tools in the fight against missing children are the Amber Alert Program and the Missouri Endangered Persons Advisory. The mission of the Amber Alert Program is to develop and coordinate the efforts of law enforcement, the media and transportation department in order to increase public participation in safely recovering abducted children through targeted education, increased communication and effective sharing of resources. The Missouri Endangered Persons Advisory was established in 2007 to protect missing persons who might not fall under the strict criteria established by the Amber Alert Plan.
For more information on child safety, or if you would like a Child ID presentation at your local event, please contact Heather Elder with the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at (573) 526-6178 or online at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov.

-30-