OJJDP and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have launched the Children's Justice Project to identify the remains of youth and children across the country who have been found deceased but never identified. The National Institute of Justice’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reports an estimated 1,000 cases of unidentified children remain unresolved.
NCMEC will commit approximately $2 million of its OJJDP funding to the project to accelerate efforts to identify as many of these children and youth as possible. OJJDP will coordinate with NCMEC, state and local law enforcement, and the Department of Justice on this effort over the next two years.
“It is fitting that OJJDP and NCMEC are collaborating to launch a new project this year, during NCMEC’s 40th anniversary and our 50th [anniversary],” said OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan. “We want to help name [these children] and return them to their families, communities, and loved ones."
To report information on a missing or exploited child, call NCMEC’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or 1-800-843-5678.
RESOURCES:
- Visit OJJDP's National Missing Children's Day webpage.
- Visit OJJDP's Missing and Exploited Children webpage.
- Follow OJJDP on X formerly known as Twitter and Facebook.