“It was comforting to know I could call their investigative team 24/7”
16-year-old Charmaine went missing from her apartment building in Antioch where she lived with her mother. The case was brought to our attention by one of our confidential informants. Our investigators interviewed the mother who wanted our help because she felt law enforcement’s response was “apathetic,” presumably because Charmaine had run away once before. We worked with the case manager at NCMEC and sent out “MISSING” flyers to 6,000 Bay Area residents. Finding Kids investigators responded to a possible sighting of Charmaine in Livermore, but did not find her. When they interviewed the witnesses and reviewed security tapes of Charmaine leaving her apartment, they felt she was planning to meet someone. Pittsburgh Police Department created a ruse to retrieve Charmaine and she was recovered at 4:00 am the following week.
Today, predators can reach vulnerable children through phones, social media, gaming platforms, and the internet, often before families realize something is wrong. Finding Kids responds through three core programs: Recover. Care. Target. We help locate missing and exploited children, support families during and after recovery, and work with law enforcement to identify and disrupt those who exploit youth. Our work continues after a child is found because recovery is only the beginning. By combining investigations, aftercare, and prevention, we help children return safely to their homes, schools, and communities while building a future where every vulnerable child receives help before crisis becomes exploitation. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly towards keeping kids safe. We cannot do this work without your support.
*Names has been changed to protect the victim’s identity.