Agency Services

 

The Vanished Children’s Alliance is the oldest and largest missing children’s organization in the United States, and has been providing services in prevention, location, recovery and reunification of missing and abducted children since 1980.

Committed to keeping kids safe and bringing missing children home,
all of VCA’s services are offered free of charge.

VCA's long list of ever-expanding programs and services are detailed in the following categories. Please click on each link for a detailed description:

  • Prevention -- VCA is one of the nation's leaders in abduction prevention education - safety handouts are available as well as lots of valuable information.
     
  • Location -- Click here to learn how VCA's experienced staff, working cooperatively with law enforcement, help locate and recover missing children across the U.S. and beyond.
     
  • Reunification -- The story doesn't end when a missing child is located. VCA helps parents and law enforcement through the complex process of reunions and reunification of families.
     
  • Training -- VCA's trainings and technical assistance services offered to law enforcement, community groups, service providers and educators are listed here.

 

 

Prevention
Keeping Our Children Safe

VCA's safety information is available here free of charge! Just download pages in PDF format, and feel free to duplicate them so long as nothing is altered. Check back here periodically, as we'll continue to add more information. Contact us if you have suggestions or additions.

Featured Story:

The Internet: Safety = Privacy, A potential tragedy becomes a valuable lesson for a young computer user

Documents in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format:

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Location & Recovery
Casework Management

VCA's Casework Department helps families and law enforcement find missing children in all categories: Family abductions, Non-family abductions, Runaways, and unknown/other missing types. The following services are available free of charge:

  • 24-hour toll-free line to report sightings or information about missing children: (800) VANISHED
  • Registration of missing and abducted children - if you have a missing child, see VCA's on line express registration form.
  • Mobile technology, with poster dissemination capability, enabling casework staff to provide comprehensive, on-site assistance in search and recovery efforts.
  • Emergency response to non-family abductions in relative proximity to VCA's offices - we can help law enforcement establish and run command centers quickly and effectively, and provide assistance during the first few crucial hours or over time.
  • Serve as a liaison between searching parents/guardians and law enforcement agencies locally and nationally.
  • Nationwide and overseas distribution of missing children photos, descriptive information, posters, and brochures via mass-mailings and electronic media.
  • International referrals to professionals who provide assistance to families of missing children.
  • Active, comprehensive case management to locate and recover missing children no matter how long the case remains open-VCA never stops looking.
  • Media relations - VCA helps publicize missing child cases, acts as spokespersons for families of missing children, and provides information to parents on how to use the media to help locate their child(ren).
  • Technical assistance to families about the legal system, justice system, and laws effecting their missing child case - we help explain what's happening and why.
  • Counseling and ongoing emotional support for families and friends of missing and abducted children.

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Reunification

Reunification is the process a family goes through when a missing child comes home. Whether missing for six days or six years, most children are changed dramatically by the experience - as is the newly-reunited family.

The Vanished Children's Alliance has been nationally recognized as experts in the issue of reunification, and has been providing assistance to families and law enforcement in this crucial area for two decades. Below are PDF downloadable documents that lend insight to the reunification process, and specific tips to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Additionally, VCA's caseworkers are available to speak with parents whose children have been (or are about to be) recovered. Remember: no two reunifications are alike, and the availability of outside help can make a lifelong difference for children and families victimized by the missing experience.

If you have questions about reunification, or the impact of child abduction, call VCA's Office for Casework Management and Outreach at (408) 296-1113. As always, if you have any information about a missing child, call 1-800-VANISHED 24 hours a day.

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Training

The Vanished Children's Alliance has, for two decades, looked toward the future of the missing children's issue: How do we prepare children, teachers, parents, law enforcement agencies and other non-profits better than ever before?

To that end, VCA offers trainings on a wide variety of topics, including reunification, case investigation, Internet safety, working with the media, collaborating with other NPO's or law enforcement groups, and comprehensive curriculum development and implementation. 

Since each program is diverse, and each audience demands a unique focus, programs are tailored to suit specific groups. Call the Vanished Children's Alliance today at 408/296-1113 to find out if we can assist you or your organization. Also, visit our Northern California Child Identification Program (NCCIP) website to learn what is being done in Northern California to keep children safer