Organizational Spotlight: ICMEC Saves Lives Worldwide

Featured image courtesy of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC)

More than 460,000 children are reported missing in the United States alone every year, according to Missing Children Statistics. That staggering figure underscores the critical purpose the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) serves, and why its mission dovetails so naturally with My Family ID, the app that equips families with secure, shareable digital IDs to trigger instant response times from law enforcement.

Since its founding in 1998, ICMEC has built an unparalleled network, now encompassing over 120 countries working to improve child-protection systems. However, its broad reach is also deep, supported by over 155,000 criminal-justice, medical, and education professionals trained to respond to child abduction, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. ICMEC operates at a national and international level, helping governments craft laws, build rapid-alert systems, and assemble specialized task forces, saving lives on a global scale.

"When a child goes missing, you have two battles: time and information," said Detective Chuck Still (Ret.), MFID Founder. "ICMEC speeds up systems to address both challenges, and their work to do so on a global scale is truly a testament to their unwavering dedication. It’s inspiring to see an organization that so effectively tackles the immense challenges of international collaboration in child protection. ICMEC truly sets the standard."

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Who Is the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC)?

The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to create a world where children are always safe from exploitation, abuse, and going missing. We applaud them for their amazing work.

"One thing I’ve always admired about this organization is they had a vision and have stuck with it – that’s how you maximize your impact and create an undeniable legacy of change," said Still. "The work ICMEC has done over more than two decades to build a global infrastructure for child protection is a powerful example of that. It's the kind of dedication that changes the world, one child at a time," he said.

Since its founding in 1999, ICMEC has been a leader in global child protection. The organization collaborates with over 120 countries, providing resources and training to create a safer world for children. ICMEC’s dedication includes:

• Powering the global search for missing children through education and resources for law enforcement, governments, and families.

• Training frontline partners, such as police, educators, and healthcare professionals, to prevent and respond to cases of missing children and sexual exploitation.

• Disrupting child sexual exploitation by partnering with leading technology and financial companies to develop new global solutions.

• Collaborating with key stakeholders across society, government, and private industries to protect children, recognizing the power of strong partnerships.

"ICMEC's work is simply invaluable – I am regularly in awe of the impact they have worldwide," said Still. "Their global reach and deep expertise in protecting children from harm and exploitation are unparalleled. By fortifying the macro structures of child protection, they create a foundation for a safer world, ensuring we're equipping parents and organizations with the resources, tools, and real-time data needed when every second counts. It's a testament to our shared vision of a safer world for all children."

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What Does the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Do?

For 26 years, ICMEC has been a leader in identifying and filling gaps in the global community's ability to keep children safe from abduction, sexual abuse, and exploitation. They address these needs through a range of holistic initiatives:

• Law enforcement training: ICMEC has provided training and resources to more than 155,000 professionals, including police, prosecutors, educators, and healthcare providers in over 120 countries.

• Global Missing Children's Center: This center protects children from going missing by providing resources and education to governments, law enforcement, and families. The Global Missing Children Network (GMCN), with its innovative GMCNgine™ technology, has generated billions of impressions for missing child alerts and helped recover over 4,000 children across 30 countries.

• Global Educator Centre for Excellence: This initiative provides educators with tools and training to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation, reaching nearly 78,000 professionals from 148 countries.

• Global Health Portal: This portal provides training for healthcare professionals to be able to recognize, identify, and treat child sexual abuse and exploitation.

• Financial coalitions: These coalitions are dedicated to unifying the financial industry in an effort to fight child sexual abuse and exploitation.

• The Koons Family Institute on International Law & Policy: The institute conducts extensive research on child protection and safety legislation, and since 2006, 156 countries have refined or implemented new anti-child sexual abuse material laws as a result of their work.

ICMEC has also helped 19 countries develop Rapid Emergency Child Alert Systems, similar to the U.S. AMBER Alert, to provide a more comprehensive level of safety.

“Our vision is one continuum of protection,” explains Chuck Still, “because while ICMEC fortifies the macro structures, MFID is equipping the micro. We support organizations like these by removing friction from the moment a child goes missing.”

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Partner with My Family ID to Maximize Your Organizational Impact Today!

First and foremost, if you are interested in receiving resources from ICMEC or contributing to the cause, click here to reach out to them directly. We strongly encourage everyone to volunteer, donate, or support them in whatever capacity you are able to. Their incredible dedication and work are saving lives across the globe. Join that movement. At My Family ID, our app provides a crucial level of support and security that ensures your senior loved ones and children are always a click away when they wander out of sight.

Because of our commitment to safety as a nonprofit, we are thrilled to partner with nonprofit organizations with similar goals to amplify their impact. If you are a nonprofit interested in partnering with MyFamily ID, start a conversation. Let’s save lives together.