Letter from Assistant Director Thomas E. Bush, III, on the FBI and American Football Coaches Association National Child Identification Program
| Washington, D.C. December 20, 2006 |
Since September 11, 2001, the nation has focused on the protection of its citizens. Our most vulnerable citizens are our children. Yet even before September 11, 2001, the statistics relating to child safety are surprising:
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800,000 are missing every year. That is one child every 40 seconds.
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400,000 run away from home.
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300,000 are abducted by family members.
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50,000 are abducted by non-family members.
Prior to 1997, less than two percent of parents had a copy of their child's fingerprints or a DNA sample. However, since 1997, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and FBI's National Child Identification Program have been working to decrease these staggering statistics relating to missing children in America.
To assist in protecting our children, we are requesting your participation in our nationwide faith-based child safety initiative. We are asking the nation's 54,000 largest churches, mosques, and synagogues to do the following:
- Participate in the FBI-AFCA National Child Identification Program (see enclosed order form)
- Fax the enclosed faith-based participation sheet.
Churches, mosques, and synagogues are essential in assisting us to inform parents and guardians of child safety. With your help, this can be the largest faith-based child safety initiative in our nation's history.
Thank you for your participation in helping protect children in America.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas E. Bush, III
Assistant Director