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American Morning

Missing Children: Would You Have Enough Information To Help Find Your Child?

Aired May 23, 2001 - 10:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And now to another risk to children: what their parents don't know about them. This turns out to be National Missing Children's Day. And a new survey finds that many parents don't have enough information to help find their children if they are missing.

We get details now on the survey results from CNN's Jeanne Meserve in Washington -- Jeanne, hello.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

If you are a parent, do you know each of your children's heights, their weights, their eye colors? Do you have a current photograph of each of them? You should. The information is critical to recovering a missing child. But a new survey, timed to coincide with National Missing Children's Day, shows that 34 percent of parents do not know all three of these critical pieces of information.

In households with more than one child, the statistic is even higher: 44 percent of parents do not know their children's weight, height and eye color. On a positive note, 94 percent can put their hands on a current photograph, which is rated as the No. 1 tool in helping recover missing children. More than 2,000 children are reported missing every day in this country, for a total last year of more than 750,000.

Some of that increase is because of better reporting systems. But the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says other factors are heightened mobility, the loss of a sense of neighborhood, and the fact that children are entrusted more often to non family members while both parents work.

It is important, the experts say, to review safety precautions with your children. Keep the current -- those vital statistics on height and weight. Know each of your children's eye color. And keep on hand a current photo. Though you might want to believe it could never happen to your son or daughter, it could -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeanne, I was just quizzing Leon to see if he has all that information on his kids. What about yours? Do you have some work to do?

MESERVE: You know, I was embarrassed to say I couldn't tell you their heights or weights. They haven't been to the doctor since last summer. I didn't have it -- so I guess many of us yet in that statistic of 34 percent who are to ill-informed.

KAGAN: Yes, OK, mom, we have something for you to do later today.

MESERVE: You bet.

KAGAN: Thanks so much.

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