Letter from President, Mattie Hatchett

Dear MAC Members,

It seems that a day doesn’t go by without the headlines beckoning us to respond to the unthinkable – the report of a missing child. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 800,000 children are missing each year. Approximately 58,000 of these innocent children are victims of non-family abductions and more than 200,000 are victims of family abductions.

Fortunately, there are organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which serve as a resource in helping to prevent child abduction and exploitation. They also provide assistance in finding missing children and those who have been sexually exploited. Because of the education of families and national network provided by the NCMEC, the recovery rate of domestically missing children has grown from 62% to 96%.

Some counties have taken an active role in partnering with local government, law enforcement, schools, community-based organizations, and families in sharing information on how to protect against child abduction and exploitation.  This includes informing families about the importance of internet safety because we all recognize that increasingly social contact, especially by youth, is conducted online.

Each county in Michigan can play a vital role in making our youth and parents aware of the real dangers that exist.  And, most importantly, how to be safe.  Easy to use resources for child safety programs are available online at www.missingkids.com and www.netsmartz411.org. I hope you will take a moment and share this vital information with your local communities, law enforcement, schools, organizations and families.

Let’s make 2012 a year of caring and purpose! Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Mattie Hatchett
President, MAC Board of Directors
mattiehatchett@aol.com