Jaycee Dugard - When a child goes MISSING!

One can never begin to imagine the fear, helpless and pain that parents go through when their child goes missing. The extent of those emotions are bound to overflow into the lives of family, friends and neighbors, and with the passing of every moment, the apprehension and thoughts of what could be and what is happening grows. Elevated expectation of what the police may or may not be doing is heighten by the fact that even those who are closest to you become suspect.

In 1991 when Jaycee Dugard went missing she was 11 years old, her parents felt helpless, the community was at a lost to understand, and the nation was captivated by the picture they saw of a little girl with a bright smile and long blonde hair. Where was she? Where was Jaycee? Unfortunately, it would be 18 years later before her parents would see her, the community that lost Jaycee would honor her, and the nation would become fixated, not her on being missing, but how she lived, where she lived and what happens now.

But let me take a few steps back into what happens when a child goes missing. Unlike the thousands if not hundreds of thousands of children who go missing in the United States each year, the Jaycee Dugard case garnered national attention. She was waiting at a bus stop on her way to school and simply vanished. There were no reports that classified her as a runaway, troubled kid or the like. Her stepfather, who was reportedly the last person to see her, remained a suspect or otherwise “person of interest” in the case, until the day she was found. What happens to all of the media attention from the time a child goes missing until the nation no longer watches, and waits with anticipation? What happens when a child is simply GONE?

The race against time to find the child, verify or discard information, analyze clues and interview suspects is short and pressing. Every second counts and every minute that passes is another hour lost. However, in a parents mind, from missing to gone is 60 seconds from the time they know or realize that they can’t “see” their child. 

Jaycee Dugard should have renewed the hope of every parent with a missing child that until you know for sure, you just don't know!  Although your child's story may not have made national news or even appeared locally for longer than a 30 second spot, get out your photos, call the police, get new information posted and get your childs story back in the headlines and on the news.  Am I advising people to take advantage of this opportunity? ABSOLUTELY!!! This case has brought a heighten awareness to missing children and your child could be the next child to come home. 

Parent tips:

• Instead of large fliers, get regular size business cards made up with your child's picture on them and information about who to contact. You can use the front and back if necessary and color photos work better.  Pass the business cards out and leave them everywhere you go, restaurants, bathrooms, hotels at conferences, give them to family and friends and ask them to do the same.  Put your website information on them.
• If you don't have alot of money, ask someone to donate their services and create a one page website with your child's information on it.   Ask someone who can volunteer or learn how to make updates  to the website yourself.  Ask a local business to sponsor the domain name for one year or longer.
• From the website you can have monies donated to a reward fund which can only be used for information or the safe return of your child.  However, be careful with rewards! Sometimes they can have the opposite affect, in that they create an unneccessary back log of false leads for law enforcement.  You will need to work closely with law enforcement when establishing a reward and throughout the case.   You also need to establish a positive relationship with the media.   
• Once you have information available, have the local newspaper do an article and provide the contact information for the website.
• On the anniversary of your child's birthday and day he or she went missing do something publicly to keep your story at the forefront.  Work with other parents of missing children and contact them to find out what if anything they are doing.  Share information and ideas. Whatever you do, be sure it is professional, responsible and doesn't draw any negative attention on the case which may damage or hurt your chances for successful prosecution later....work with law enforcement.
•  BECOME AN ADVOCATE!!!   People will only advocate as hard for your child as You, yourself advocate.  Be careful of the people you keep close to you, share information with and have speak on your behalf.  You always want to be sure that you are receiving the right advice, your wishes are being expressed properly and your efforts are not counterproductive.

If know you want to cry, I know you want to lay down and feel sorry for yourself, but remember this is not about you, it's about the child that you can't see!  Your child may be GONE but only you can make sure they are NOT FORGOTTEN!!!

Teachable for Kids:

• Children should never go anywhere with strangers. Stranger abductions are far less common than being abducted by someone known to the victim. (Tell them not to help anyone look for their pets, go for ice cream or allow anyone to take them by the hand. Also don't allow a stranger to touch them on the shoulder-a touch on the shoulder implies comfortable, lack of apprehension, particularly if the child doesn’t flinch or move away quickly.  Remember, if someone is going to walk them to safety, they need to walk towards a crowd and not away from it)

• Express the importance of never going over to a car if someone ask for directions, or wants to ask them a questions or says they want to show them something in the car, van etc..

• Teach your kids a “safe” word that only you or they know.

• Teach your kids a “fear” word that only you or they know.

• Tell your child to yell “FIRE” in a crowded place if someone is taking them somewhere.

• Also tell you child to never go to another location with a stranger, no matter what they say.  (I'm going to hurt you, your parents or someone else you know. - victims who are taken to a secondary location are in more danger than remaining at the first location)

• Teach your child how to use the phone at a young age, and how to remember signs if they are in a car. Remember to tell you child that NO MATTER WHAT, they are told to believe, you will ALWAYS keep looking for them,  it doesn't matter how long it takes, or how far they are, you will always be looking and they should always be looking for you to come and get them!  (Giving a child HOPE gives them something to always hold on to!)

Keeping our children safe should be a priority to the nation. Welcome home Jaycee Dugard and let’s keep the light on for every child in America that is missing to us and GONE to their parents!