"When a child's liberty and innocence are taken, it is a terrible, terrible loss. And those responsible have committed a terrible crime. Our society has a solemn duty to shield children from exploitation and danger."

—President George W. Bush, October 2, 2002

The first White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children was held October 2, 2002, in Washington, DC. President Bush presented the keynote remarks at the conference, which was designed to raise public awareness of the issue, share progress, and reinvigorate practitioners and other stakeholders. OJJDP and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) joined the White House in sponsoring the event.

"Our first duty as adults is to create an environment in which children can grow and thrive without fearing for their security," said President Bush in his remarks. "That's what we've got to do. Because children are so vulnerable, they need the care of adults. Because they're so vulnerable, those who are cruel and predatory often target our children."

"This White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children is important for America," President Bush added. "This is the beginning of a refocused effort at the federal level to help save people's lives. . . . This is the beginning of a successful strategy implemented at all levels of government and all parts of our society to recognize a real threat and to deal with it; to recognize there are some so evil in our society that they're willing to harm our most precious and most vulnerable citizens; to be prepared to respond quickly when that happens; to help people prevent it from happening in the first place; and to make it clear, if you do it and we catch you, there's going to be serious consequences for you."

The all-day conference drew more than 600 participants. The conference featured the participation of Attorney General John Ashcroft (who gave the opening address), Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Education Secretary Rod Paige, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.

The Attorney General and FBI Director Mueller specifically committed to maintaining the Justice Department's efforts to address the problem of missing and exploited children as a priority, even as the Department focuses on homeland security issues. "As our awareness of the threats to our children has sharpened, we have grown even more determined in our mission to protect their lives and safeguard their innocence," said Attorney General Ashcroft in his opening remarks. "The role of concerned citizens is vitally important in keeping our children safe. But we also depend on government and law enforcement to protect and to seek justice for those among us who are most vulnerable—our children."

The seven panel sessions focused on recent research findings, prevention of child victimization, and effective law enforcement policies for handling crimes against children. Because of the recent spate of abductions this past summer, many families have become anxious and concerned that law enforcement cannot always prevent abductions or return children unharmed to their families. OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores addressed this concern in a panel discussion he moderated on "What Works," which highlighted technologies, law enforcement efforts, and community responses that demonstrate that much progress has been made in developing tools to help keep children safe from abduction and exploitation.

Other topics discussed in the panel sessions included child abduction, domestic and international parental kidnapping, sex trafficking of children, child pornography, runaway and homeless youth, Internet safety, and corporate and community involvement. Conference participants included officials from all levels of government, law enforcement personnel, families of child victims, researchers, corporate leaders, and others.

In connection with the conference, the White House announced the release of a new guidebook, Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents, available in English and Spanish at the NCMEC Web site (missingkids.com). OJJDP also announced the release of an updated edition of its guidebook for families of missing children, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, and the recent publication of A Law Enforcement Guide on International Parental Kidnapping. OJJDP also released a new series of publications based on the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-2).