Hear The Children Cry - Newest Member of the Global Missing Children Network Jamaica
Missing Children’s Support Programme
The multi-faceted Missing Children’s Support Programme was launched by Hear The Children’s Cry in April 2009, with vital, ongoing support from Jamaica Yellow Pages, now Yello Media Jamaica Limited. Over the past decade (2010 – 2020) approximately 15,000 children have been reported missing in Jamaica, a problem that continues to create tremendous social concerns and ramifications for families, communities, and the wider society
The Missing Children’s Support Programme is Jamaica’s only entity, public or private, providing counseling for the families of missing children, as well as for returned missing children. It works with the security forces to access statistics on missing children, analyzing and publishing these. It also carries out islandwide programmes of Safety Education in Schools and Parenting Education, and networks with other stakeholders serving the welfare of Jamaican children. In 2015, it became a member of the Global Missing Children’s Network.
Hear The Children’s Cry publishes photos (where available) and details about missing children on a daily basis, and keeps the public informed with regular press releases, media interviews and postings on social media, as well as calling press conferences on national issues when necessary. It also publicizes important related trends, provides in-depth analyses, a focus on related issues and puts a human face on the statistics about missing children.
During the 2020 Corona Virus pandemic, and the ‘lock down’ of the Jamaican community, Hear The Children’s Cry continues to published monthly “COVID-19 Bulletins” focusing on the state of the country’s children as reflected by the statistics on missing children, and posts tips for parents and children regarding extra safety precautions during these challenging circumstances.