On August 29th, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois, the Governors of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin signed the Interstate Agreement on Missing and Exploited Children. This agreement was the beginning of the development of an interstate network established to aid in the improved safety and in the identification and recovery of missing children. The state of Ohio was admitted to the Interstate Advisory Council on August 25, 1986 and the state of Minnesota on June 11, 1987. In 1998, the states of Kansas, Michigan, and North Dakota also signed agreements to be member states of the Interstate Advisory Council on Missing and Exploited Children. South Dakota became a member on July 20, 2002 while Nebraska signed an agreement to become a member on October 27, 2002. The Council is comprised of representatives of state law enforcement and criminal justice agencies from each of these states.
Otherwise, known as I-SEARCH (InterState Enforcement Agencies for the Recovery of Children), the Interstate Advisory Council for Missing and Exploited Children established the following goals:
- Better coordination among appropriate state enforcement agencies in establishing an interstate approach to solving the problem of missing children.
- Development of an I-SEARCH network pertaining to the collection and sharing of data concerning missing and exploited children, possible use of a standardized child identification format, development of a criminal intelligence system, and research and analysis to identify trends and patterns of child victimization.
- Exploration of the feasibility of participating states' participation in a regional "Missing Children Bulletin" and hotline, a regional alert system, and cooperative law enforcement training and investigation.
- Development of a model structure for the state approach to the problems of missing and exploited children including standards for law enforcement response to missing and exploited children cases.
- An examination of improved methods for the return of missing children, extradition of offenders, standardized child safety educational programs, and the integration of public and private sector resources to further the identification and recovery of missing and exploited children.
To achieve these goals the Council meets on the average of twice a year. Committees have been established to research and implement the intended goals.
Recognizing the value of programs and resources provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Council has always worked in close association with NCMEC. A central focus of the two organizations has been to provide conferences and training for all 50 states relating to missing children issues.
In 1992, under a grant provided by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services under the Children's Justice Act Grant, the I-SEARCH Council worked in conjunction with state Children's Justice Task Forces and the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law to develop a guide to assist law enforcement and child welfare personnel in the investigation and prosecution of child sexual exploitation and abuse. In order to make the laws of member states more uniform, recommendations as to legislative reform were also developed.
A major concern of the Council is to provide public awareness regarding those issues relating to missing children. As a result, emphasis is being placed on the yearly National Missing Children's Day on May 25th. Law enforcement and the general public are encouraged to wear a white ribbon commemorating our nation's missing children.