Notice of the Fiscal Year 2000 Missing and Exploited Children's Program Proposed Program Plan

The Missing and Exploited Children's Program is administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Pursuant to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended, Section 406 (a)(2), 42 U.S.C. 5776, the Administrator of OJJDP is publishing for public comment a Proposed Program Plan for activities authorized by Title IV of the JJDP Act, the Missing Children's Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5771 et seq., that OJJDP proposes to continue in FY 2000. Taking into consideration comments received on this Proposed Program Plan, the Administrator will develop and publish a Final Program Plan that describes the program activities OJJDP intends to fund during FY 2000 using Title IV funds. OJJDP does not propose any new Missing and Exploited Children's programs for FY 2000. No proposals, concept papers, or other types of applications should be submitted.

Background

For the purposes of Title IV, the term ``missing children'' refers to children who have been abducted by either a family or nonfamily member and includes children who have been abducted within the United States and those who have been abducted from the United States to a foreign country. The term ``child exploitation'' refers to any criminal activity that focuses on children as sexual objects and includes sexual abuse, child pornography, and prostitution. The issues involving missing and exploited children are complex and diverse. Since 1984, OJJDP has supported a variety of research projects designed to provide the knowledge needed to make informed policy decisions and meet the information needs of the field. These projects include the first National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, or Thrownaway Children (NISMART); Abduction Homicide Investigation Solvability Factors; Obstacles to the Recovery and Return of Parentally Abducted Children; and the Missing Children and Criminal Justice Response to Parental Abduction Cases. This research indicated that abduction and exploitation can have a devastating impact on children and families. Lessons learned from research also provide the basis for this proposed program plan. A decade ago, NISMART (1988) provided valuable data on family and nonfamily abductions and on child exploitation. The following are some of the major findings at that time: an estimated 354,100 family abductions annually; between 3,200 and 4,600 short-term nonfamily abductions reported yearly to law enforcement; an estimated 114,600 attempted nonfamily

abductions; 446,700 runaways; and approximately 127,100 thrownaway children. The NISMART findings are in the process of being updated (see the program description under ``Continuation Programs'' below). Preliminary results from NISMART 2, the second national study to measure the incidence of missing, abducted, runaway, or thrownaway children, are expected to be available in mid-2000. NISMART 2 will: • Update information on the characteristics of the children involved in missing child episodes and the nature of these episodes. • Update estimates of the number of these episodes reported to police, the number of children known to be missing, and the number of missing children who are recovered. • Include an aggregate estimate of missing children in all categories. • Estimate the incidence of sexual assault and exploitation of children and youth by both family and nonfamily perpetrators. • Analyze any significant changes in the numbers of missing, abducted, runaway, or thrownaway children since 1988, the focal year for the initial NISMART data collection. • Improve criteria for the identification and classification of missing child episodes. • Permit the identification and counting of children involved in certain categories of episodes (e.g., lost children) whose importance was first recognized during the data analysis for the initial NISMART study. The information from NISMART 2 will enable parents and the public to better understand the dimensions of the problem and identify those factors that place children at greatest risk of becoming missing. Practitioners and policy makers need this new information to design programs and policies that will ensure the safety of our Nation's children. The initial NISMART study did not report on the number of children who are abducted within the United States and who are taken to or illegally retained in foreign countries, nor will NISMART 2. While accurate data on the number of children illegally abducted is unknown, in 1998 the U.S. Department of State maintained a caseload of approximately 1,000 outgoing (from the United States to another country) international abduction cases. An estimated 19 children are abducted from the United States or are illegally retained in foreign countries each week. The average age of these children is 5\1/2\ years old. Most incidents involve a formal determination of custody prior to the abduction. Only 30 percent of these cases are resolved with the return of the child to the United States.1 It is reasonable to project that these abductions will increase as the trend continues toward a global society characterized by fewer restrictions on international travel and increasing numbers of cross-cultural marriages, separations, and divorces. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Chiancone, J., and Girdner, L.1998. Issues in Resolving Cases of International Child Abductions. Unpublished manuscript. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1993, OJJDP awarded a research grant to the Washington State Attorney General's Office to identify the characteristics of successful child abduction homicide investigations. The study examined cases from urban, suburban, and rural areas and included both large and small law enforcement agencies. The study found that in most instances, the offender was known to the victim, the victim was abducted within one- quarter mile of his or her last known location, and the victim was selected on the basis of opportunity. Sex was the motivating factor behind offenders' behavior in the great majority (70 percent) of the cases. More than two-thirds of the time, the initial call to law enforcement was to report a runaway or missing child. The research indicated that for these cases, timely, thorough, and well-organized neighborhood canvassing is critical to identifying the offenders. The advent of the information age has exposed children to a new threat. Industry experts estimate that more than 10 million children currently go online and, by the year 2002, 45 million children will use cyberspace to talk with friends, explore the universe, or complete homework assignments. In cyberspace, children are a mouse click away from exploring museums, libraries, and universities. Unfortunately, they are also a mouse click away from sexual exploitation and victimization. While providing almost limitless opportunities to learn, the Internet has also become the new schoolyard for predators seeking children to victimize. Cloaked in the anonymity of cyberspace, sex offenders can seek victims with little risk of detection. They can roam from chatroom to chatroom trolling for children susceptible to manipulation and victimization. Chatroom stalking circumvents conventional safeguards and provides sex offenders virtually unlimited opportunity to have unsupervised contact with children. This development has important implications for parents, educators, and law enforcement. Victimization of children can have devastating effects on the child and the family. There are clear linkages between early childhood victimization and later violent behavior, such as school violence, drug abuse, and adult criminality. Since 1986, OJJDP has sponsored three longitudinal studies to improve understanding of serious delinquency, violence, and drug use. Referred to as the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, these studies have confirmed the linkage between early childhood victimization and maltreatment and later criminal behavior. A history of childhood maltreatment is associated with at least a 25 percent increased risk of involvement in serious and violent delinquency, drug use, poor school performance, mental illness, and teenage pregnancy. A history of childhood maltreatment nearly doubles the risk that a teenager will experience multiple problems during adolescence.2 Furthermore, in a 1996 study of 1575 court cases, Widom confirmed that neglect may be as damaging as physical abuse.3 A 1997 study conducted by the Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, also demonstrated that childhood victimization is a risk factor in developing major mental health problems and alcohol abuse.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ Kelley, B.T., Thornberry, T.P. and Smith, C.A. 1997. In the Wake of Childhood Maltreatment. Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. \3\ Widom, C.S. 1996. The Cycle of Violence Revisited. Research Preview. Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. \4\ Kilpatrick, D., and Saunders, B.1997. Prevalence and Consequences of Child Victimization. Research Preview. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Children who have been abducted and returned to their families often live in fear of being reabducted. When a child is returned to his or her family after an extended period of time, even limited psychological support is seldom provided to either the child or the family. Almost four-fifths of victims and families of missing children do not receive mental health or counseling services. For families of missing and exploited children, the impact of these crimes can have equally devastating effects. Emotions range from fear and anger to a sense of helplessness. Parents are often on their own when searching for their children. Like the victims of abductions, many parents do not receive

the necessary support or counseling services to help them cope with this personal tragedy. When a child returns, the process of reunification typically takes no more than 15 minutes with no psychological or social service support. In most cases, the only nonfamily person present is a police officer. These findings provide the research basis for the programs and activities set forth in the proposed Fiscal Year 2000 program plan.

Background to the Fiscal Year 2000 Program Plan

In 1984, Congress enacted the Missing Children's Assistance Act, establishing the Missing and Exploited Children's Program (MECP) within OJJDP. Under the Act, MECP is responsible for coordinating Federal missing and exploited children activities, providing a national resource center and clearinghouse, and supporting research, training, technical assistance, and demonstration programs to enhance the overall response to missing children and their families. In FY 1999, OJJDP's Missing and Exploited Children's Program made significant advances in the course of meeting its responsibilities to provide services to children, parents, educators, prosecutors, law enforcement, and other professionals and interested persons working on child safety issues. Some of the notable accomplishments are summarized below. OJJDP supported work on a soon to be released Spanish version of the publication, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. This is the first document published by OJJDP to be translated into a foreign language. Written by parents for parents, the Guide provides firsthand insights into what families should do and expect when their children are missing. Copies of the English and Spanish versions of the Guide are available through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) at 800-638-8736. MECP continued to build on the parents helping parents theme through the Team Hope Program. Team Hope uses specially trained parents to serve as mentors and provide advice to families who are undergoing a missing child episode. In FY 1999, more than 20 parent volunteers began assisting other parents with advice and information about available resources to assist their search for their children. MECP released two additional publications in the Portable Guide series: Forming a Multidisciplinary Team To Investigate Child Abuse and Use of Computers in the Sexual Exploitation of Children. Additional guides scheduled for release in FY 2000 include Cultural Competence and Child Abuse Investigations, Risk Profiles for Abduction and Appropriate Interventions, and Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA): Implications for District Attorneys and Investigators. MECP chairs the Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children as part of its coordination responsibilities. In FY 1999, an ad hoc subcommittee completed an assessment of the Federal response to international child abductions. That assessment resulted in a series of recommendations regarding agency roles, responsibilities, and jurisdiction, sent in a special report to the Attorney General and subsequently forwarded to Congress for review and consideration. In FY 1999, MECP, in a collaborative process with representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Customs Service, Postal Inspection Service, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the OJJDP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces (ICAC Task Force), developed investigative and operational standards (Standards) for the ICAC Task Force Program. The Standards were designed to coordinate investigations, foster information sharing, ensure the probative quality of undercover operations, and facilitate interagency case referrals through standardization of investigative practices. As such, they express broad themes that pertain to target selection, supervision and management practices, media releases, undercover conduct, and evidence collection procedures. In FY 1999, NCMEC played a critical role in making the electronic world of cyberspace a safer place for children. More than 700 law enforcement personnel, ranging from executives to frontline personnel, participated in NCMEC-sponsored Protecting Children Online courses. More than 8,500 leads were received by the CyberTipline from children, parents, and other individuals concerned about the safety of children on the Internet. Some of these leads resulted in the arrest of individuals using the Internet to identify children for sexual molestation while others led to the recovery of children enticed from home by sex offenders. In FY 1999, through a cooperative agreement with Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), OJJDP sponsored training or technical assistance for more than 4,500 law enforcement, prosecutors, social services, and health and family services professionals. Training and technical assistance integrates current research, state-of-the-art practice and knowledge, and new technologies into courses that are designed to increase skills and abilities, enhance service coordination and delivery, and improve the investigation and handling of missing and exploited children's cases. Specialized technical assistance was provided to State and local practitioners and juvenile justice agencies relating to Internet crimes against children, information sharing, response planning, child protection legislation, and multidisciplinary team development. Finally, the Attorney General again participated in the annual Missing Children's Day Ceremony to commemorate America's missing children and to recognize extraordinary efforts by law enforcement officers working to reunite children and their families. The Attorney General presented the NCMEC Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award to Postal Inspector Robert Adams, Fort Worth, TX, and Texas Ranger Matt Cawthon and Detective Thomas Noble of the Bellmead, TX, Police Department in recognition of their excellent work in recovering missing children. The Attorney General also presented for the first time, the Child Exploitation Unit Award for outstanding service, to the Dallas Police Department.

Fiscal Year 2000 Programs

In FY 2000, OJJDP proposes to continue its concentration on programs that are national in scope, promote awareness, and enhance the Nation's response to missing and exploited children and their families. While no funds are expected to be available for new program initiatives in FY 2000, input from the field on the continuation programs proposed and on program and service needs that should be considered and addressed will assist the Office in making final plans for FY 2000 and in determining future program priorities.

Continuation Programs

FY 2000 Title IV continuation programs are summarized below. Available funds, implementation sites, and other descriptive information are subject to change based on the plan review process, grantee performance, application quality, fund availability, and other factors. No competitive applications would be solicited for any of these programs in FY 2000. National Resource Center and Clearinghouse In FY 1999 Congress provided funding to continue and expand the programs, services, and activities of the

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a national resource center and clearinghouse dedicated to missing and exploited children and their families. As provided in Title IV, the functions of the Center include, but are not limited to, the following: • Provide a toll-free hotline where citizens can report investigative leads and parents and other interested individuals can receive information concerning missing children. • Provide technical assistance to parents, law enforcement, and other agencies working on missing and exploited children's issues. • Promote information sharing and provide technical assistance by networking with regional nonprofit organizations, State missing children clearinghouses, and law enforcement agencies. • Develop publications that contain practical, timely information. • Provide information regarding programs offering free or low-cost transportation services that assist in reuniting children with their families. In FY 1999, NCMEC's toll-free hotline received more than 115,000 calls ranging from citizens reporting information concerning missing children to requests from parents and law enforcement for information and publications. NCMEC also assisted in the recovery of hundreds of children, disseminated millions of missing children's photographs, distributed nearly 2.5 million publications, and sponsored a national training workshop for State missing children clearinghouses and relevant nonprofit organizations. NCMEC also continues to assist the State Department in carrying out its Hague Convention responsibilities by processing incoming applications for children abducted to the United States and is broadening its efforts to recover American children abducted to foreign countries. In FY 1999, NCMEC continued to perform the national resource center and clearinghouse functions and broadened the ICAC training program with development of 1-day awareness seminars for communities seeking to improve their response to these offenses. NCMEC is also sponsoring research to determine the incidence of young people receiving unwanted sexual solicitations or who are unwillingly exposed to pornography via the Internet and the context in which the exposure or solicitation occurred and to evaluate current knowledge of children and parents in how to respond to these episodes. Efforts this year involved development and field testing of the survey instrument. Preliminary results are expected in FY 2000. A 1-year cooperative agreement will be awarded to NCMEC in FY 2000 for continued performance of national resource center and clearinghouse functions and operation of the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Center. Internet Crimes Against Children Regional Task Force Development In 1998, the Missing and Exploited Children's Program (MECP) awarded $2.4 million to ten State and local law enforcement agencies to develop and implement regional multijurisdictional, multiagency responses to prevent and combat Internet crimes against children (ICAC). ICAC Task Forces serve as regional sources of prevention, education, and investigative expertise to provide assistance to parents, teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working on child victimization issues. In FY 1999, ICAC Task Forces worked with representatives from the MECP, FBI, United States Customs Service, Postal Inspection Service, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to develop investigative and operational standards for the ICAC Task Force Program. These standards are designed to coordinate investigations, foster information sharing, ensure the probative quality of undercover operations, and facilitate interagency case referrals through standardization of investigative practices. On November 9, 1999, OJJDP, in cooperation with the National School Boards Association and NCMEC, sponsored a national teleconference titled On-Line Safety for Children: A Primer for Parents and Teachers. The teleconference was designed to raise awareness of Internet safety, encourage the development of safe on-line practices, and identify strategies for preventing Internet crimes against children. The teleconference was directed toward educators, school administrators, law enforcement, community leaders, parents, policy makers, and others who are interested in child safety on the Internet. In FY 2000, MECP plans to sponsor a series of town meetings to promote awareness of the importance of community-wide interdiction and intervention as it relates to Internet crimes against children. Based on the availability of funds, MECP will also make supplemental awards to the ten jurisdictions currently participating in the ICAC program, and will support a minimum of eight new ICAC sites. Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program In FY 1998, Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) was awarded a 3- year cooperative agreement to provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement, prosecutors, and health and family services professionals. The purpose of this program is to ensure the provision of up-to-date, practical training and technical assistance for professionals working on missing and exploited children issues. Training focuses on investigative techniques, interview strategies, comprehensive response planning, media relations, lead and case management, and other topics related to missing and exploited children's cases. Under the Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program, FVTC offers five courses: Responding to Missing and Abducted Children, Child Sexual Exploitation Investigations, Child Abuse and Exploitation Investigative Techniques, Missing and Exploited Children, and Child Abuse and Exploitation Team Investigation Process. FVTC also provides technical assistance and support to the Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children and its related subcommittees; develops documents and publications related to missing and exploited children; convenes special focus groups or meetings to facilitate communication and problem solving among youth service workers and professionals at the Federal, State, and local level; and performs special projects as directed by OJJDP such as the design of protocols for handling and responding to cases involving missing and exploited children, establishment of a response planning system, and conducting a case review of child protection legislation. FVTC would continue to provide these training and technical assistance services in FY 2000. Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association's Safe Return Program OJJDP administers the Safe Return program designed to facilitate the identification and safe return of memory-impaired persons who are at risk of wandering from their homes. In FY 1999, the Safe Return Program increased its registration database to more than 53,000 individuals and assisted in the return of 980 wanderers. In FY 2000, the program will continue the national registry and the 24-hour toll-free hotline. In addition, the Safe Return Program would continue work

on the model community program and expand training and technical efforts focusing on law enforcement and emergency personnel. National Crime Information Center (NCIC) OJJDP proposes to continue to transfer funds to the Department of Justice's Justice Management Division through a reimbursable agreement to continue NCMEC's online access to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Wanted and Missing Persons files. The ability to verify NCIC entries, communicate with law enforcement through the Interstate Law Enforcement Telecommunication System, and be notified of life-threatening cases through the NCIC flagging system is crucial to NCMEC's mission of providing advice and technical assistance to law enforcement. NISMART 2 Under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, Title IV, OJJDP is required to conduct periodic studies of the scope of the problem of missing children in the United States. The first national study was conducted in 1988, with results published in 1990. In FY 1995, OJJDP funded NISMART 2, the second national study of missing, abducted, runaway, and thrownaway children in the United States. Temple University received funding in FY 1995 to conduct this study, which builds on the strengths and addresses some of the weaknesses of the initial NISMART study. Temple has contracted with the University of New Hampshire Survey Research Laboratory and Westat, Inc., to carry out specific components of the study and provide extensive background knowledge about the particulars of the original NISMART study. Specifically, the NISMART 2 study will (1) revise and enhance NISMART definitions, (2) survey approximately 23,000 households by telephone to estimate how many children are missing on an annual basis, (3) survey law enforcement agencies to determine the annual frequency of child abductions, (4) survey approximately 10,000 youth by telephone to understand what happens during missing children episodes, (5) interview directors of residential facilities and institutions to determine how many residents run away, and (6) analyze data on thrownaway children from a related survey of community professionals. The findings from these surveys will provide updated estimates on the number of missing children each year in the United States. Preliminary NISMART 2 findings will be available in mid-2000, and a final report will be completed in FY 2000. An OJJDP Bulletin documenting the scope of the research, definition revisions, and methodology changes will be published in FY 2000. OJJDP support for NISMART 2 would continue in FY 2000. Parent Resource Support Network (Team Hope) In FY 1997, OJJDP entered into a competitively awarded 3-year cooperative agreement with Public Administration Services (PAS) to develop and maintain a parent support network. The goal of this project is to stimulate development of a network of screened and trained parent volunteers who will provide assistance and advice to other victim parents. In FY 2000, PAS would train additional parent volunteers and engage in activities to market the program. Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center Program In FY 1997, OJJDP, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI, and OJJDP grantee Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), developed and implemented the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center (JRLETC) program. JRLETC offers two law enforcement training tracks that are designed to improve the national investigative response to missing children cases. JRLETC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) seminars approach missing children's cases from a management perspective and offer information regarding coordination and communication issues, resource assessment, legal concerns, and policy development for police chiefs and sheriffs. The Responding to Missing and Exploited Children (REMAC) course offers modules focusing on investigative techniques for all aspects of missing children cases. In FY 1999, 371 police chiefs and sheriffs and 323 investigators participated in at least one of the JRLETC programs. Congress appropriated $1.25 million in FY 1999 to continue operation of the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center. OJJDP, NCMEC, the FBI, and FVTC will continue to provide training and technical assistance through the JRLETC and the onsite technical assistance program to respond to the numerous requests for assistance from JRLETC graduates. Under the JRLETC appropriation, OJJDP awarded $500,000 to FVTC to support regional REMAC courses, with the remaining $750,000 awarded to NCMEC to continue the CEO seminars and onsite technical assistance program. NCMEC also will draft a model policy to assist law enforcement executives plan response protocols for their communities. The International Association of Police Chiefs is currently reviewing the final draft of the policy and MECP anticipates publication by the second quarter of FY 2000. Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organizations MECP provides funds to the Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organizations (AMECO) to improve, at the State and local level, the quality, availability, and coordination of services provided to missing and exploited children and their families, and to improve the capacity and capabilities of nonprofit organizations (NPO's) serving missing children and their families. While many AMECO member agencies serve parents and children who are the victims of domestic abduction, few are trained or equipped to provide specialized services to those involved in international abductions. Until recently, little attention has been given to the need to coordinate with local service providers and expand their services for children and their families. In FY 2000, additional funds would be provided to AMECO to hire full time staff to support the expansion of services for international parental abduction cases, support semiannual meetings, and develop and disseminate written protocols, policies, procedures, and standards for NPO's for both domestic and international parental abduction cases. National Center on Child Fatality Review In FY 1997, OJJDP awarded a grant to the National Center on Child Fatality Review (NCCFR) in Los Angeles, California, to develop State and local uniform reporting definitions and generic child fatality review team protocols for consideration by communities working on enhancing their child death investigations. NCCFR developed a model for integrating data among the Criminal Justice, Vital Statistics, and Social Services Child Abuse Indices. NCCFR is funded by a National Advisory Board, which is composed of representatives from across the country and from relevant disciplines. In FY 1999 the NCCFR will continue its efforts to standardize and coordinate information and resources relating to child death review activities. This includes the development of a Web site

that will be used to post national data on child abuse and neglect related fatalities, offer Internet-based training, provide information about each State's CFR activities, and offer information and resources to professionals and practitioners throughout the country. NCCFR will also produce and publish a national newsletter titled Unified Response, expand the NCCFR list-serve, and develop and distribute training materials using the Internet, CD-ROM, or videotape and other media. In FY 2000, OJJDP would provide continuation support to NCCFR. Investigative Case Management for Missing Children Homicides In FY 1993, OJJDP awarded a competitive grant to the Washington State Attorney General's Office (WAGO) to analyze the solvability factors of missing children homicide investigations. During the course of that research, WAGO collected and analyzed the specific characteristics of more than 550 missing child homicide cases. These characteristics were recorded in WAGO's child homicide database. In FY 1999, WAGO identified additional cases for inclusion in the database and began the interview data collection process. In FY 2000 OJJDP proposes to continue to provide funding support to WAGO to ensure the vitality and investigative relevance of its child homicide database. This funding would support data collection, database maintenance, and case consultation activities. The database can be used by Federal, State, and local law enforcement to perform link analyses by identifying cases with similar characteristics. Law enforcement database inquiries can be made by calling WAGO at 800-345-2793. FBI Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit (CASKU) In FY 1997, OJJDP entered into a 3-year interagency agreement with the FBI's CASKU to expand research to broaden law enforcement's understanding of homicidal pedophiles' selection and luring of their victims, their planning activities, and their efforts to escape prosecution. This information is being used by the FBI and OJJDP in training and technical assistance programs. FY 1999 activities included refinement of the interview protocol, identification of incarcerated offenders meeting requirements of the research criteria, and field tests of the interview protocol. In FY 2000, OJJDP would continue funding support to CASKU to begin data collection efforts and preliminary analyses. National Child Victimization Conference Support In FY 2000, MECP proposes to provide funding support to national conferences focusing on child abduction, exploitation, and victimization issues. This funding support would include the conferences sponsored by the National Children's Advocacy Center, Dallas Police Department and Children's Advocacy Center, and American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.

Dated: January 4, 2000. Shay Bilchik, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. [FR Doc. 00-354 Filed 1-6-00; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410-18-P