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Nearly
1,000 Children Missing in County
Missing foster
children website brings new hope
www.missingkidsla.org
Nearly
1,000 children are missing from the foster care system in Los
Angeles County.
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The county's Department of Children and Family Services is charged
with the care of just over 50,000 children (about 10% of the number
in foster care Nationwide) and over 31,000 are in foster homes.
In a report released in January, the DCFS said 990 children had
run away or been abducted from foster care in the past few years.
The new Missing Foster Children website may bring new hope that
these kids can be found.
"This Web site is an important tool that allows the public to aid
in the effort to find these children and return them to county care,"
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said.
The website lists over 700 of the missing children, nearly 300 of
them with a picture. It's promised the site will be updated weekly
with the most current information on missing and abducted children.
The photos and names of missing foster children in Los Angeles County
are being posted in an effort to get the public's assistance in
locating them.
It's hoped that eventually this new site will be integrate with
the District Attorney's Office's Abducted Children Web site (see
below) may add missing and abducted children from the probation
system.
Anyone having information about a child is urged to contact the
Department of Children and Family Services at:
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Missing
and abducted children
Here are some other useful tools that deal with missing and abducted
children, available locally through the County of Los Angeles:
District Attorney
Crimes
of Violence
(see) Child Abduction Section
Child abduction is a serious and traumatic crime. While everyone
has become aware of frightening "stranger kidnappings," abductions
are most often carried out by people who know the child. The District
Attorney's Office is committed to combating both types of abductions
and to protecting the custody rights of parents and legal guardians
throughout Los Angeles County.
The District Attorney's Child Abduction Section is comprised of
specially trained prosecutors and investigators who assist parents
and children in three important ways:
| 1)
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Criminal Prosecution |
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Experienced deputy district attorneys in the Child Abduction
Section vigorously prosecute all individuals who abduct, conceal,
or withhold a child from a parent who lives in Los Angeles County. |
| 2)
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Family
Court Enforcement |
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The
Child Abduction Section enforces Family Court orders in certain
situations when a child has been abducted or concealed from
a parent in violation of a custody order. Specially trained
investigators regularly travel across the United States to physically
recover children and bring them back to their lawful custodians. |
| 3)
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International Child Abduction Assistance |
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Specially trained staff in the Child Abduction Section work
with international treaties and protocols to return children
that have been abducted to other countries from Los Angeles
County. |
For more information about the services provided by the Child Abduction
Section, please browse our website by clicking on the links at the
top of the page:
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Department
of Children and Family Services
http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/
Vision and Mission
Los Angeles County children should reach adulthood having experienced
a safe, healthy and nurturing childhood which prepares them to become
responsible and contributing members of the community. The family
provides the home environment which allows this development to take
place.
However, when the family is unable to provide this safe, secure
and nurturing living environment for the child, the community assumes
that responsibility.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
is the public agency charged with the duty of establishing, managing
and advocating a system of services in partnership with parents,
relatives, foster parents and community organizations which ensures
that:
| Children
are safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation; |
| Families
who can provide a safe home environment for children are respected
and strengthened; |
| Children
who families are unable to provide a safe home environment are
provided temporary homes which support optimum growth and development; |
| Children
in temporary homes receive safe, secure, nurturing and stable
permanent homes in a timely manner; |
| Youth who
reach adulthood under our care are providing the opportunity
to succeed. |
Community
partnerships are mobilized to promote the healthy development of
children and youth; prevent child abuse, neglect and exploitation
and provide a comprehensive array of community-based health, recreation,
child development, education, employment, housing, justice and social
services which work in concert to support and preserve families.
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7
Safety Tips for Children
Share these rules with your children:
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| 1. |
Before
I go anywhere, I always check first with my parents or
the person in charge. I tell them where I am going, how
I will get there, who will be going with me, and when
I'll be back. |
| 2.
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I
check first for permission from my parents before getting
into a car or leaving with anyone, even someone I know.
I check first before changing plans or accepting money,
gifts, or drugs without my parents' knowledge. |
| 3.
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It
is safer for me to be with other people when going places
or playing outside. I always use the "buddy system." |
| 4.
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I
say "NO" if someone tries to touch me in ways that make
me feel frightened, uncomfortable or confused. Then I
go and tell a grown-up I trust what happened. |
| 5.
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I
know it is not my fault if someone touches me in a way
that is not O.K. I don't have to keep secrets about those
touches. |
| 6.
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I
trust my feelings and talk to grown-ups about problems
that are too big for me to handle on my own. A lot of
people care about me and will listen and believe me. I
am not alone. |
| 7.
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It is never too late to ask for help. I can keep asking
until I get the help I need.
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