The old Wanted posters from the Wild West that had to be distributed with the stagecoach are now still used, but on a modern and digital bulletin board on the Internet.
But being creative also helps. In 1984 the National Child Safety Council launched the first National Missing Children Milk Carton Program. Because people who look at their breakfast ?and see the face of a missing child, will pay more attention that day.
The picture above is that of Etan Patz who first appeared on a milk carton. On May 25, 1979 he disappeared at the age of 6 when he closed the door of his house to go to the school. Unfortunately, he was never found. After a series of 29 missing persons and child murders NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) with support from Ronald Reagan decided that May 25, 1983 had to become the national missing kids day. Etan’s father was a professional photographer and spread the photos of his son himself and so the idea was born to use the pictures on a milk carton. At first it were local dairy farmers in that region, but after six months the program went nationwide. It did not lead to a lot of useful tips and the program lasted no more than a few years. Still it contributed to raise awareness of the problem. But attention dropped soon. Overall, it was mainly the children who took milk at breakfast (cereals). NCMEC helped a total of 182,000 missing cases of which 169,000 kids were recovered. An increase in the solving percentage of 62% at the beginning of the 80s to 92% at the end of the decade.
It was time for the milk carton concept, that is inextricably linked to missing children, to get into shape again. Redesigned to the way of working of the 21st century, with new capabilities such as social media and QR codes as they have become new tools to be used in cases of missing persons.
Milk Carton 2.0?is a modern version of the old idea that is now initaed, more than 30 years later, by Missing Children Society Canada.
The following video shows how to include Google Search, Pinterest, Foursquare and apps are used to call attention to missing children. How to focus on smart ways of doing so, often in combination with Amber Alerts. Although there are thousands of missing children in Canada each year, the Milk Carton 2.0 network is only occasionally used. In 2 years time it was deploed 22 times. Only when other resources are not considered adequate and when there is serious danger to the child they decide to use these supplementary service.