International Missing Children's Day: A Ray of Hope for All Missing Kids

On this International Missing Children's Day, communities across the world come together to spotlight the plight of missing children, raise awareness, and reinforce the ongoing efforts to reunite families. This day not only honours those still missing but also celebrates the resilience of survivors and the dedication of those tirelessly working to bring them home.

Hyderabad: May 24 is recognised as International Missing Children's Day across the world. A day to raise awareness about child abduction and respect missing children. Numerous organizations host events across the nation to raise awareness regarding children's safety. The day honors everyone involved in the cause and serves as a reminder to keep up our efforts to try to reconnect missing children with their families.

History:

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared National Missing Children’s Day to recognize the countless children who vanish annually. From 1979 to 1981, the United States was rocked by a series of child kidnappings. This started with the case of 6-year-old Etan Patz in New York City on May 25, 1979, who was abducted from the bus while heading to school. Although Etan was never located, the perpetrator, Pedro Hernandez, was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2017.

In India:

According to the NCRB report for 2022, titled "Crime in India" " statistics reveal that 83,350 kids (20,380 boys, 62,946 girls, and 24 transgender) were reported missing from the previous year. Furthermore, 80,561 children were found or located, comprising 20,254 male, 60,281 female, and 26 transgender youngsters.
And it also has reported over 47,000 missing children, of whom 71.4 per cent are underage girls.

West Bengal reported locating the most number of missing children (12,546), according to data for 2022. With 6,994 unrecovered or untraced children, the state still holds the record for the most of any state.

Role of Technology in reunited missing children with their families:

Since facial recognition technology doesn't require keys or passcode input, it is less likely to be misplaced, stolen, or forgotten. It is not as hygienic as fingerprint or finger vein biometric authentication as it can be done contactlessly. Moreover, it makes straightforward confirmation of entry and exit possible by not requiring the usage of extra devices. Installing it in walkthrough gates, for instance, enables seamless ID identification, allowing you to enter and exit the gates without pausing in front of the camera.

Protect Your Children:

In addition to paying tribute to individuals who have gone above and beyond to keep kids safe, today's observance is a great chance to provide resources that will help you keep your kids safe every day.
Observe custody records.

Have up-to-date family photos on hand.

Keep a copy of their fingerprints.

Verify the accuracy of dental and medical records.

Observe what people are doing online.

Establish guidelines regarding your child's social circle.

Pay attention to your child's movements.

Meet friends' parents.

Verify caregivers' references and run background checks on them.

Little children in strollers and car seats should never be left unsupervised.

Avoid putting children's names on clothing wherever possible.

As early as possible, teach your youngster their address and phone number.

Find out who your child's friends are.

Plan get-togethers and events in open spaces for your child, their friends, and their parents.

What to do when you or someone you know has a missing child?

There are some things you should do if you or someone you know has a lost child, as much as we hate to think about it. Within the first day:
Notify the authorities about the missing youngster right away.

Ask the appropriate authorities to issue a BOLO (Be On The Look Out) alert.

Don't interfere with anything if your kid was taken from your house. Moving, cleaning, or discarding items could obstruct an investigation, which is how authorities typically gather evidence.

Find out the name and contact information of the investigator assigned to the case of the missing child. Don't forget to have this information accessible and close at hand.

Give as much information as you can about the circumstances surrounding your child's disappearance, including what they were wearing.

Putting together a list of all the people who might know vital information about

your child, including where they're at and past experiences, including teachers, friends, and family.

Inform the authorities about any work you may have completed or other visitors to your home during the previous year. Every little thing counts. Make copies of your child's most recent color and black-and-white photo. A copy should be sent to all law enforcement agencies, missing children organizations, the media, and social media.

Get the contact information of any charitable group that could assist in locating the missing child.

Arrange for the use of tracking cars, software, electronics, and dogs in a search party for your child with the assistance of the authorities.

Maintain a thorough record of all the calls that come in and leave out from your house, including the time, who called, and how long they spoke on the phone.

Create a circle of support to help you stay strong. Make the most of your friends and family.

Eat food and relax. Taking care of yourself during this time is crucial, even though it could be difficult.

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