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Agency News
OJJDP and NCMEC Observe National Missing Children’s Day On May 23, 2002, OJJDP and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children marked the 20th anniversary of the Missing Children’s Act at the annual National Missing Children’s Day ceremony, held at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC. The theme—“20 Years of Searching To Bring Our Missing Children Home”—was underscored in remarks by OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores, who noted that the Nation has made significant progress in searching for missing children. Through the coordinated efforts of NCMEC and other agencies, many programs and resources contribute to the recovery of thousands of children. Examples of initiatives include Project A.L.E.R.T. (America’s Law Enforcement Retiree Team), America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER), and Project KidCare. During the ceremony, former U.S. Senator Paula Hawkins recalled the challenges encountered in passing the Missing Children’s Act. Associate Attorney General Jay Stephens honored several law enforcement officers for their efforts to help missing and exploited children. NCMEC President Ernie Allen and Chairman Robbie Callaway presented Volunteer and Corporate Leadership Awards and also honored two children with Courage Awards. Mr. Flores presented Kelsey Sauerer, a middle school student from Sartell, MN, with a certificate for creating the winning poster in the 2002 Missing Children’s Day Art Contest. In closing, Mr. Flores urged communities to implement KidCare ID programs to help law enforcement agencies recover missing children. To learn about NCMEC, visit missingkids.com. To host a Project KidCare event, visit www.polaroid.com/kidcare. Share information on related community efforts by contacting Ron Laney, Director of OJJDP’s Child Protection Division (e-mail [email protected]). Coordinating Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Activities Every day there are countless programs at work and national policies in place to serve the Nation’s youth. Who keeps track of these programs and policies? Who ensures that they are responsive to the Nation’s needs? Given the multiplicity of agencies, activities, and individuals involved, a mechanism is needed to monitor the scope and policy implications of these efforts. The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Council) is that mechanism. Established by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended, the Council is an independent body within the executive branch of the Federal Government. It has nine members representing Federal agencies and nine practitioner members representing disciplines that focus on youth. The list of participating Federal agencies suggests the Council’s scope: the Department of Justice (the Attorney General serves as chairperson, the Administrator of OJJDP as vice chairperson); the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor; the Office of National Drug Control Policy; the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service; and the Corporation for National Service. The Council works to promote a national agenda for children and to foster positive youth development. Its primary function is to coordinate all Federal programs and activities related to juvenile delinquency prevention, the care or detention of unaccompanied juveniles, and missing and exploited children. It has a number of other mandated responsibilities and also engages in building collaborations, disseminating information, and other activities. This article highlights some examples. Special Initiatives In recent years, the Council has focused on a variety of special initiatives. For example, it proposed a youth component program for Weed and Seed (a comprehensive, community-based crime prevention initiative of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs) and encouraged research on youth in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Interdepartmental collaboration spurred by recent Council meetings has addressed issues such as career enrichment for at-risk youth, juveniles and the death penalty, child maltreatment and delinquency, and school safety. Web Resources The Council supports two unique Web sites: Parenting Resources for the 21st Century offers information on a wide range of parenting issues—from child care to drug abuse to college scholarships—to help families meet the formidable challenges of raising a child. The site catalogs parenting resources that are available through the Internet and provides links to approximately 800 organizations that offer information about parenting. Children With Disabilities was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the “Best of the Web.” The site contains material on an array of developmental, physical, and emotional disabilities and provides links to a variety of resources. It includes a State-by-State index of organizations that offer relevant services and information. Quarterly Meetings Part of the Council’s mandate is to make annual recommendations to Congress regarding juvenile justice policies, objectives, and priorities. To help shape these recommendations, the Council holds quarterly meetings that provide a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, and research findings. The meetings are open to the public (see “For Additional Information,” below). Other Activities
To learn more about the Council, visit its Web site (http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov) or contact Bob Hubbard, Special Assistant for the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, at [email protected], 202–616–3567, or 202–307–2093 (fax). Notices of quarterly meetings appear on the Web site and in the Federal Register. Persons interested in attending can register electronically at http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov/meetings.html.
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