NCMEC

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) child protection organisation founded in 1984. Its mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimisation, working with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement and the public. It is described as the largest and most influential child protection organisation in the United States, and is funded in part by federal grants.

NCMEC's work spans 16 specific programmes. These include a national 24-hour toll-free call centre; the CyberTipline, through which the public can report suspected child sexual exploitation; management of the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution Program; and the official national resource centre and information clearinghouse for missing and exploited children. The organisation also provides forensic and consultation services in child abduction and exploitation cases, alongside technical assistance and training for families, law enforcement agencies and child-serving professionals.

Cases handled range from infancy through age 20. NCMEC operates three regional offices, in Florida, New York and Texas. Its technical work covers forensic services, case consultation, call centre operations, clearinghouse management, CyberTipline reporting systems and the delivery of training and technical assistance.