Senate Resolution No. 2063
BY: Senator PERSAUD
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 25, 2026, as Missing Children's Day in the State
of New York
WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing
official days that highlight critical issues affecting its citizens,
especially its children; and
WHEREAS, May 25th has been nationally recognized as National Missing
Children's Day since 1983 and internationally recognized as
International Missing Children's Day since 2001; and
WHEREAS, National Missing Children's Day was established in honor of
Etan Patz, a six-year-old boy who disappeared on his way to school in
New York City in 1979 and whose case became a symbol of the movement to
protect missing children in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(NCMEC) was established by John and Reve Walsh after the abduction and
murder of their six-year-old son Adam; John and Reve Walsh channeled
their painful experience of losing Adam to create NCMEC in 1984; and
WHEREAS, Today, NCMEC operates 16 Congressionally-designated
programs to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and
prevent child victimization; and
WHEREAS, In 2025, NCMEC received over 130,000 calls related to
missing and exploited children through its national toll-free hotline,
1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678); and
WHEREAS, In 2025, NCMEC received more than 32,000 reports of missing
children, including 2,582 reports of missing children from New York; and
WHEREAS, NCMEC manages the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution
Program, and as of December, 2025, more than 1,300 children have been
recovered as a result of AMBER Alert activations; and
WHEREAS, NCMEC supports the resolution of long-term missing
children's cases by creating age progression images and facial and skull
reconstructions; assisting in biometric collection and analysis; and
engaging the public to identify unknown deceased children through the
Help ID Me initiative; and
WHEREAS, Through its work, NCMEC remains a beacon of hope and a
powerful advocate for children's safety, embodying an unwavering
commitment to preventing abduction and exploitation and assisting in the
safe recovery of children; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 25, 2026, as Missing
Children's Day in the State of New York, recognizing the efforts of
families, law enforcement, and organizations such as NCMEC that work to
bring missing children home and recognize that every child deserves a
safe childhood; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
