New York State Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse

"All 50 States and the District of Columbia currently have missing children’s clearinghouses, which are established by executive order or legislative mandate. Setting up clearinghouses has proved less difficult than providing them with adequate funding to carry out their tasks. Some States have failed to appropriate resources for maintaining their clearinghouses, which then have become merely mailing addresses for individuals seeking information on missing children.

The New York State Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse was established in 1987 to carry out many diverse activities relating to missing and exploited children. It has a long track record of good work and sufficient funding. Because of New York’s major international airports and proximity to Canada, the State’s clearinghouse sees many cases of international parental abduction.

New York’s statutes relating to criminal custodial interference do not cover precustodial abductions and treat postcustodial abductions as a felony only if a child has been taken out of State. Perhaps especially in States with statutes similar to New York’s, clearinghouses can play an important and active role in resolving these difficultcases."

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/190105.pdf