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LAST OF UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN IN KATRINA SHELTERS REUNITED WITH FAMILIES
WORK GOES ON IN BRINGING “FRACTURED FAMILIES” BACK TOGETHER
ALEXANDRIA, VA - October 10, 2005-With the successful identification of two-year-old Stephanie Pierre of New Orleans and another two-year old boy found on the roadside in Bremen, Georgia, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported today that all of the children who were alone in post-Katrina shelters have now been identified and reunited with family members. NCMEC expressed its thanks for the collaborative efforts of social services, state and local law enforcement, the American Red Cross, and many others.
However, more than 2,000 cases remain of children separated from or whose whereabouts are unknown to close family members. Most of the remaining cases appear to be examples of "fractured families." While a small number may not have survived the storm, apparently most of the children are in the care of a parent, grandparent or friend. Yet, another parent or close family member may not know the child's location or condition.
“Though we have made significant progress in reuniting and resolving thousands of cases, our work isn’t complete,” stated NCMEC President Ernie Allen. “We urge everyone to continue helping us resolve these cases by visiting our web site at missingkids.com and reporting any information about these cases to us.”
Since early September when NCMEC established the Katrina Missing Persons Hotline (1-888-544-5475) at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 30,000 phone calls have been logged related to separated families and missing persons. The number of reports to NCMEC of children separated from their families due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has climbed to 4,724. However, the number of families reunited is also increasing, with more than 2,526 cases resolved.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 340,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 116,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 94,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit www.missingkids.com.
CONTACT:
Communications
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NCMEC
703-837-6111
media@ncmec.org
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