On May 25, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared while walking to his school bus stop in New York. Four years later, to honor Etan’s memory and the memories of other missing children, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25—the anniversary of Etan’s disappearance—as National Missing Children’s Day.

Tragically, however, children continue to disappear, and as we approach National Missing Children’s Day 2015, the FBI would like to ask the public for its continued help in locating any of the young victims pictured above from our Kidnapping and Missing Persons webpage.

According to Director James Comey, “The FBI remains vigilant in its efforts to eradicate predators from our communities and to keep our children safe.” In addition to working with our law enforcement partners to publicize the names and faces of missing children, the Bureau undertakes a variety of efforts to help rescue the most vulnerable of victims. For example:

• Rapid response teams are stationed across the country to quickly respond to child abductions.
• Our investigators can offer a full array of resources such as DNA analysis, trace evidence, impression evidence, and digital forensics tools.
• Through improved communication, we can quickly share information with law enforcement partners around the world.
  

As for Etan Patz—the little boy whose name and face have become synonymous with this issue—he has never been found. But as a result of law enforcement efforts and the public’s assistance, other youngsters have been safely recovered and returned to their families, or at the very least, their families have been given some degree of closure.

And we will continue to look for these children—seeking justice for them and for their families—no matter how long it takes. Despite the fact that the court proceedings of a suspect believed responsible for Etan Patz’s disappearance nearly 36 years ago ended in a mistrial earlier this month, prosecutors have announced they will retry the case.

Note: The children pictured here may have been located since the above information was posted on this website. Please check our Wanted by the FBI webpage for up-to-date information.