Critical data about missing children in the US can now reach local communities through an investigative mapping tool once available only to law enforcement.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) manages an interactive site called Poster Map. Anyone can click into the map to see the faces of children who have disappeared in their area and reach a tip line if they have helpful information. The map serves as a modern version of missing child posters or 1980s milk carton ads.
Zooming into a region on the Poster Map, dots appear representing familiar places—the local mall, a town’s main roads, nearby neighborhoods. Clicking on a dot surfaces a missing child poster. Using the search tool, people can also see missing child cases and active AMBER Alerts across the country.
“Every missing child case is a local disaster for that family, for that neighborhood, for that community,” said John E. Bischoff III, vice president of the Missing Children Division at NCMEC. The first 24 hours are crucial, but many cases extend far longer. Without sustained public attention and engagement, leads go cold and memories fade. NCMEC developed the Poster Map to help maintain visibility.
“‘This child has been missing for 10 years and that happened five miles from my house. I had no idea,’” said Bischoff, describing a typical reaction.
