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Q. What is the purpose of AMECO?
A. AMECO was founded in 1994 by a group of non-profit agencies that wanted to work together for three reasons:
a. To combine their efforts in influencing the policies and services for missing and exploited children at a local, state and national level,
b. To raise public awareness about AMECO members who offer services to families of missing and exploited children,
c. To create a way for the public to distinguish reputable agencies and to have a resource that could help them determine when agencies may not be following professional and ethical standards in areas such as fund raising, fees for services, etc.
AMECO members applied for their membership by submitting the appropriate paperwork, and they renew their membership and applicable paperwork every year. Members agree to follow AMECO's Ethical Standards and work effectively with families, local law enforcement, media and other community organizations.
Q. What does AMECO do?
A. Provides information to the public and referrals for missing children search resources that are effective, reputable and readily available.
AMECO combines the expertise of mutliple nonprofit agencies to identify standards for effective, ethical services and supports important improvements to public policies that protect children such as the A.M.B.E.R. Plan, sex offender legislation, community notification meetings, etc.
AMECO offers additional resources by referring some families to organizations such the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) who provide a wide array of services that include missing child poster design/distribution along with national and international case management resources. Addtional referrals may be made to Team H.O.P.E., who assist families with missing children by offering counsel, resources, empowerment and emotional support from a trained volunteer, who has had or still has a missing child. Referrals are also made to Take Root, who offer peer support and outreach services for survivors of childhood abduction Take Root.
Q. Is there a difference between a child who has been abducted by family member due to a divorce or custody situation versus one who goes missing by a non-family member? Are children or teens who run away really considered missing?
A. Any child less than 18 years of age who is under the control of a parent or custodian, who is outside of the legally defined limits of that parent's or legal custodian's visiting rights, or whose whereabouts are unknown is considered missing. It is just as important to find a missing child, no matter who took the child or why they were taken away. All missing children and teens may be in danger and should be taken as a serious situation immediately.
When a child goes missing, parents or legal custodians should immediately file a report with the following organizations:
1. Local law enforcement,
2. The State Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children in the State of legal residence where the child lives,
3. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (US) and/or the Canadian Royal Mounted Police (Canada), and
4. The NCIC database (nationally managed by the FBI) but accessed through local law enforcment once they file their missing child report. It is very important that parents make sure that their local law enforcement has listed their missing child in the NCIC by receiving at least the case number of the report and preferrably a copy of the report.
Because child abduction is a traumatic and incapacitating event, parents should contact the nearest AMECO member agency for guidance, support and assistance in their search for their missing child. Searching for a missing child can be an extremely complicated and difficult process. An AMECO member agency can:
1. Assist with the parents' or legal custodian's search efforts,
2. Suggest "where to start" and assist with potential media outreach
3. Explain local law enforcement procedures and assist as needed,
4. Guide, support and encourage parents and legal custodians in each phase of the search, recovery and reunification processes, and
5. Make referrals to other agencies that can help and assist with set up of a reward through a local bank, if necessary.
Q. Why are the AMECO agencies located where they are?
A. AMECO agencies are founded by a variety of people or community volunteer groups who decide to formally provide services for missing and exploited children. The founders and staff set up their own programs and services in addition to all adminsitrative functions. Most of them are small organizations who raise all of their most of their funds through individual and corporate donations. Member agencies do not charge fees to assist a family in their search for a missing child but may request minimum fees or donations for prevention education services.
In some cases, non-profit agencies are named for a child who went missing from that community. In those instances, the agency is typically founded by the family of the missing child or by community members who were moved to action after a child in their own area went missing.
Starting a nonprofit that provides these types of critical services and support requires an enormous commitment. Often the initial outpouring of financial support for this type of non-profit will greatly diminish over time when the public's attention becomes focused elsewhere. However, to be a member in good standing throughh AMECO, non-profit agencies must be continuously operating and providing their own funds for at least two years to prove that their programs are stable and will be available to families indefintiely.
Communities without the resources to sustain their own non-profit agency can and should consider partnering with existing non-profits in the US or Canada. When a family looses a loved one through abduction or exploitation, it even more diffcult to think of beginning a new business or foundation. Instead, a family may want to allow extra time to consider starting up a foundation and donate any funds to a scholarship or award in that child's name.
Q. Who funds AMECO and its members?
A. AMECO association conferences, trainings and administration are funded by a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), a branch of the US Department of Justice (USDOJ). When making referrals to nonprofit agencies to assist in providing services to missing and exploited children, OJJDP will only refer law enforcement agencies to AMECO member agencies.
Each AMECO member agency is reponsible to raise their own funds for programs, services, staffing, operations and administrative needs.
Q. How can AMECO agencies provide missing children services free of charge?
A. As one of its fundamental principles, AMECO member agencies provide missing child search services based on need and not on ability to pay. A missing or exploited child will receive attention and services, no matter what the financial situation of his or her family.
This policy requires that AMECO members find other financial resources for their operating and program costs, which is very challenging. Many member agencies host special events and fundraisers within the community. Some member agencies solicit directly from the general public while others may qualify for variouls grants, based on their ability to provide measurable outcomes related to their programs or services.
Q. What are the differences between the Canadian and US agencies? How do they work together?
A. The US and Canadian agencies are identical in their commitment to reducing the number of missing and exploited children. However, because the laws and law enforcement techniques vary between the US and Canada, agency responses related to missing and exploited children in each country are often different.
In the US, the Justice Department is the lead agency in organizing and supporting law enforcement services to missing and exploited children. In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provide this service.
In the US, the Justice Department provides funds for AMECO, although each member agency must raise its own operating and program funds. In Canada, all funds for the non-profit agencies come from private donations.
Because so many children are taken or run away across the border between Canada and the US, the non-profit agencies find it crucial to work together in locating and serving these children and their families. The non-profit agencies in both Canada and the US work together to define program standards, to share information and to influence policies within their own countries and beyond that will be beneficial to all children.
Q. What kinds of services are available for kids who are being abused and exploited even if they are not missing?
A. There are several outreach programs for children or teens, whether they're missing or not. R.A.I.N.N (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), a highly respected non-profit assists children with a wide variety of issues whether they're at home or fmay have run from abuse in the home or other location.
A growing concern and multi-billion dollar industry in the US and throughout the world has become Human and child traffiking. This exploitive and abusive industry includes the sex trade, labor abuses and other forms of exploitation.
In terms of prevention education services, some AMECO members provide Online Safety training for parents, educators, law enforcement and the community. They often partner withlocal ICACs (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Forces, Net Smartz and iSafe to provide online safety tools that can prevent tthe exploitation of children and teens. For additional information, please click on the Services tab.
PLEASE, CONSIDER SUPPORTING AMECO AND ITS MEMBER AGENCIES BEFORE YOU LEAVE OUR SITE BY VISITING OUR HOW TO HELP PAGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Page last edited on Friday, July 7, 2006. | 
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