Kentucky’s Attorney General announced a new program to help bring missing and exploited children home.
Along with declaring May missing child awareness month in the Commonwealth, Attorney General, Daniel Cameron announced the ‘It Saves to Know’ campaign. He calls it a further extension of efforts to raise awareness in Kentucky about the dangers facing children that are abducted or go missing. It also helps parents and caregivers recognize signs that a child may be thinking about running away.
Heather Wagers, Executive Director for the Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and Prosecution, was on hand for the signing of the declaration. She shared these staggering statistics.
“One out of six children that go missing are approached in the first 48 hours by a trafficker. Think about it in terms of a child has to be able to get food, get shelter. And how are they going to manage to do that If they are 12 or 14? They can’t necessarily have a job. They are dependent on other people. And sometimes the people that are willing to offer their hands are looking to exploit them.”
Cameron says the goal is to get information out on as many digital platforms as possible. He believes the campaign will strengthen families by disrupting and preventing child trafficking. It’s being funded by a 175-grand awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
