Audrey Seiler may have allegedly staged her abduction, but with 1.8 million American children abducted or missing every year, the threat is very real. That threat is why Glenna Pusc and Philip LaMarche of Guadian Associates in Kimball decided to become agents for Child Shield U.S.A., a program dedicated to preventing and finding missing children. “We just imagine our kids, and ourselves,” LaMarche said. Child Shield U.S.A. was started in 1990. Of 1.5 million children registered through the program over the years, only two have been reported missing and both were recovered. Within hours of a reported missing child, Child Shield prints thousands of posters, distributes those posters, photos and videotapes to law enforcement, media and other organizations, offers a $50,000 reward and puts $2,500 toward a private investigator. What makes Child Shield, U.S.A. different from other child identification programs is an emphasis on prevention. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, most abductors lure children to a vehicle rather than taking them by force. About half of those children are 4- to 11- years old. Child Shield offers a kit which includes the services listed above, along with a coloring book and poster with seven rules of safety, such as, never talk to strangers, never go anywhere with a stranger, never take anything from a stranger, and to always phone home if running late. The kit, which costs $75 for two years for the first child and $60 for two years for each additional child in the same family, also includes instructions for the parents on how to teach these safety precautions to their children and what to do if their child goes missing. “It has a good, solid step-by-step process,” Pusc said, “with instructions for the children and parents.” For instance, one of the earliest steps for a parent who can’t find their child is to retrace their child’s path and check with friends and neighbors. “Some missing children have been found in their own home,” said Kimball Police Chief Todd Rohloff. There have been no abductions in Kimball since Rohloff started ten years ago, but juvenile runaways average about two each month. “They’re usually at a friend’s house or end up at the other parent’s,” said Rohloff. “They’re usually found the same day or a few days later.” Law enforcement uses resources like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Amber Alert. A missing child has to qualify under certain criteria for law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert. Child Shield U.S.A. doesn’t wait for qualification, though. Child Shield can also be used for college students and other adults. “Meeting certain criteria, that takes time,” LaMarche said. “Child Shield kicks in right away.” Also, it is more difficult to officially determine if an adult is missing. “Depending on the situation, we usually wait 24 hours,” Rohloff said. “If it’s a situation out of the ordinary we’d react a lot sooner.” The Kimball Police Department averages about one or two missing persons per month. “It’s usually a miscommunication between the kids (young adults) and their parents. They show up at home or call home not knowing that they’re being looked for,” Rohloff said. Child Shield, U.S.A. can also be used for elderly folks, possibly with Alzheimer’s or those who get lost easily. For instance, when LaMarche was 10 years old he was riding with his father in the car when he realized his dad didn’t know where they were. His dad was awake, but in a diabetic-induced coma. “He just lost his surroundings and got disoriented,” LaMarche said, “and I wasn’t paying attention.” LaMarche convinced his father, who didn’t even realize what happened, to stop at a farm and ask for directions. They were about 25 miles off track, but they gave him some sweet food for his diabetes and they found their way home. “Missing elderly folks are rare in the Kimball area,” Rohloff said. But, when LaMarche saw ads for Child Shield, U.S.A. four or five years ago he thought of his father. LaMarche and Pusc did some research to make sure it was a legitimate company before deciding to become agents. Currently, they are the only Child Shield U.S.A. agents in Minnesota. They just started and are looking for ways to distribute information about the program within a 50-mile radius of Kimball. Participating organizations receive $2 – $4 for each person registered. “It’s like car insurance,” LaMarche said, “You don’t want to use it, but if you have to, you can. Your car can be replaced; your kid can’t.” For more information on Child Shield, U.S.A. call Philip LaMarche at (320) 398-5403.
