In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day. Each year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) commemorates Missing Children’s Day with a ceremony honoring the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children.
Missing Children’s Day is dedicated to encouraging parents, guardians, caregivers, and others concerned with the well-being of children to make child safety a priority. It serves as a reminder to continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families and an occasion to honor those dedicated to this cause.
The 2018 Missing Children’s Day Ceremony will take place on May 23, 2018, in Washington, DC.
To commemorate this day, we wanted to share the following safety tips with you:
- Teach children their contact information. Make sure your child knows his or her full name, home address and telephone number. Include this contact information in their backpack, coat, etc. Teach your child not to share this information with anyone he or she does not know without your permission.
- Practice safe social media. Talk to your children about the risks of sharing too much information on social media. Explain how “checking in” on social networks and sharing location information or routines can have negative consequences.
- Listen and ask questions. Listen if your child says someone makes him or her feel uncomfortable. Ask questions to clarify their feelings. It is important for children to learn to trust their instincts.
Photo Credit – 2017 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention poster contest. Fifth graders from 34 states and the Aviano U.S. Air Force Base in Italy submitted winning poster contest entries. The winner of the 2017 poster contest (pictured) was Audrey Link from Resurrection Catholic School in Lakeland, Florida!