National Center for Missing and Exploited Children observes 40 years of service

The Spark

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3d ago 30:41

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Callahan Walsh is an advocate for the cause of Missing and Exploited Children and is the leading voice in the fight to protect children and support families. He’s also the Executive Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

In 1981, Callahan’s brother Adam was kidnapped in South Florida and his remains were found two weeks after his abduction.

“It's a sad story, but Adam's disappearance changed the way we look for missing kids in America. I've come to realize over time that, unfortunately, it oftentimes does take a tragedy to bring about meaningful change.”

Callahan’s parents realized there was no support system or organization that aided help in distributing missing children’s posters or even searches other than local law enforcement.

“They didn't know how. You know, they didn't have the training and the protocol around missing children's cases like we do now. A lot has changed since 1981.”

Adam’s case captured nationwide attention, and his parents realized something needed to be done so this won’t happen to other families. They created the Adam Walsh Resource Center in Florida shortly after Adam’s death.

“It started off with just a card table and a landline telephone, which has grown to become the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an organization that's helped recover over 460 ,000 missing kids since its inception.”

Listen to the podcast to hear how the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children works to prevent child exploitation, how families can protect their kids online, and what to do if the child goes missing.

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