Find the Children

Since 1983, Find the Children has been a beacon of hope for families with missing children. Founded by the late television producer Linda Otto, this nonprofit organization was established to promote communication between local and federal law enforcement, the media, and parents of abducted children. Linda’s motivation to start Find the Children came from her experience producing the film “Adam,” which aired on television in 1983. The movie depicted the kidnapping and murder of her friend John Walsh’s son [Adam], and as a result, several missing children were found through a photo roll call that played at the end of the movie. This was the first time that media was used to find missing children, and it became the foundation for Find the Children’s mission.

Every 10 minutes, there is an attempt to abduct a child. It is a heartbreaking statistic, and most parents never imagine that it could happen to them. But the reality is that each year, there are approximately 94,000 missing children, 90,000 runaways, 300 stranger abductions, and 981 family abductions in the United States, according to the Department of Justice. This is why the work that Find the Children does is so important.

Find the Children is the only organization in the country that provides free stranger and online safety programs that provide valuable safety lessons to children in preschool, elementary, and middle school. Our age-appropriate presentations are conducted in grade-level classrooms by highly trained outreach speakers with experience working with children of all ages. The programs teach children to recognize potentially dangerous situations and know how to keep themselves safe when an adult is not present.

Parental abductions occur most frequently as relationships end and custody becomes an issue. The most prevalent quality in families that experience abduction is domestic violence. The motivating factor of the parental abductor is often revenge, and rarely involves the consideration and welfare of the victim child. This is why Find the Children’s safety programs are so crucial – they teach children to recognize potentially dangerous situations and how to keep themselves safe.

Find the Children also welcomes volunteers to assist in its cause by disseminating information about missing children. Volunteers are a valuable asset in the search for missing children because one out of seven missing children is found as a result of photo recognition. Find the Children’s Volunteer Flier Distribution Program has assisted thousands of families by distributing fliers with photos of missing children to communities throughout the country.

In addition to providing free safety programs and working with volunteers, Find the Children also works with the media to provide current information and photos of missing children. The organization supports legislation that provides positive action to ensure the safety of children.

It’s easy to support Find the Children’s work through Cars of Charity. As their partner, our website represents Find the Children in raising awareness and soliciting unwanted car donations to help them in their mission to find missing children and provide free safety programs to students. Donations can be made by calling our toll free number or through our website by filling out the form provided on our home page. Since 1998, Find the Children has provided free safety programs to students in schools throughout Los Angeles County, and with your help, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of missing children and their families.