PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:
To coordinate Federal missing and exploited children activities and to support research, training, technical assistance, and demonstration programs to enhance the overall response to missing children and their families. Establish and maintain a national resource center and clearinghouse dedicated to missing and exploited children issues that: 1) provides a toll-free hotline where citizens can report investigative leads and parents and other interested individuals can receive information concerning missing children; 2) provides technical assistance to parents, law enforcement, and other professionals working on missing and exploited children cases; 3) promotes information sharing and provides technical assistance by networking with regional nonprofit organizations, State missing children clearinghouses, and law enforcement agencies; 4) develops publications that contain practical, timely information; and 5) provides information regarding programs offering free or low-cost transportation services that assist in reuniting children with their families. On a periodic basis, conduct national incidence studies to determine the type and extent of missing children in America. Support law enforcement demonstration programs (e.g., the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program) to enhance the investigative response to missing and exploited children cases. Support research to broaden understanding of a wide range of missing and exploited children issues (e.g., abduction homicide investigation solvability factors), to inform training and technical assistance efforts and to identify promising practices and programs for replication. Develop training programs for law enforcement, child protective services, medical personnel, and prosecutors to enhance coordination and effectiveness of missing and exploited children investigations and to enhance the overall system response. Identify service gaps and develop programs to meet specialized needs of parents or guardians of children who are reported missing. Provide a national central registry and toll-free hotline service to assist community organizations and law enforcement personnel to identify and return adults suffering from Alzheimer's disease who have wandered from home. Provide training, technical assistance, and publications to enhance community wide responses to wandering incidents by memory impaired adults.

ELIGIBLE FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES:
1. LAW, JUSTICE AND LEGAL SERVICES;
- Law Enforcement - Planning and Operations;
- Law Enforcement - Research, Education, Training;
- Law Enforcement - Crime Analysis and Data;
- Legal Services - General Services;

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM:
- State;
- Local;
- Public nonprofit institution/organization;
- Private non-profit institution/organization;
- Anyone/general public;

WHO CAN APPLY:
- State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Local (includes State-designated Indian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Public non-profit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Other public institution/organization;
- Private non-profit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Quasi-public non-profit institution/organization;
- Other private institutions/organizations;
- Anyone/general public;