The island country of Jamaica held an international conference to coordinate efforts between countries to recover missing and abducted children. The conference was held May 2015 during Missing Children Awareness Week.
Jamaica has a child abduction alert called the “Ananda Alert” and has increased efforts to work with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to make sure missing and abducted children return home safely.
Katia Dantas, Policy Director for the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children in Latin America, and Caribbean, was the keynote speaker at the event which was organized by “Hear the Children’s Cry.” The event included a meeting with key stakeholders, a press conference, and additional media interviews.
The meetings also included information about good international practices and technical assistance that can be used with the Ananda Alert System. Participants included representatives from the Office of Children’s Registry, law enforcement agencies, Child Development Agency, Ministry of Education, Sandals Foundation, National Parenting Support Commission, National Association of Social Workers, and other organizations.
In November 2015, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children welcomed Hear the Children’s Cry to the Global Missing Children Network as its newest member and the first Caribbean country.