Program areas at Child Find of America
Parent help - see schedule oparent help's toll free line (1-800-716-3468) connects families and parents living apart to experienced family services professionals. Here, parents receive assistance in resolving conflicts over such issues as Child custody, visitation, Child support and co-parenting - situations that can escalate into cases of parental Child abduction. The services are free, voluntary and confidential. The parent help program, an extension of Child Find's original "capss - Child abduction prevention and support services" was initiated in the state of new york in 2006 as a 5 year project with support from the department of health and human services administration for children and families. Services were expanded nationwide in october 2010 when capss services and toll-free number, 1-800-a-way-out, were incorporated into the parent help program.
Location services - see schedule ochild Find's 1-800-i-am-lost toll-free number receives calls for assistance each year from all 50 states and internationally. An in-house location staff investigates each case of a missing Child using computer technology, the internet and a massive national network of partners, including local law enforcement agencies, the fbi, state missing children clearinghouses, schools and other non-profit organizations. Photos of missing children are disseminated nationwide through the support of hundreds of media outlets, other businesses and volunteers who post, circulate, print or air Child Find missing children posters.
Public education - see schedule ochild Find of America staff, board members and volunteers work year round to educate the public about the issues of missing children, how to keep children safe, and what to do in times of crisis. Education efforts include providing materials and support in health and safety fairs, civic events, and community organization presentations. Educational materials, and Child Find's docu pak which helps families keep vital information about their children at hand, are distributed to school children and their parents. Press releases, articles and interviews with local and national media also bring attention and awareness to missing children. In-service training of allied professionals also increases the understanding of the issues and strengthens our ability to prevent and resolve all cases of missing children - and help keep or return children to a safe and legal environment. Child Find's websites, www.childfindofamerica.org and www.parenthelp-ny.org, provide internet users access to many of our materials.