Child Abduction

According to the Child Abduction Task Force, there are more than 200,000 child abductions each year nation-wide; a scarier statistic is that of that total, an estimated 100 of those children are murdered each year.  The statistics through the Department of Justice state that "an estimated 1,923 cases of family abduction and 49 cases of stranger abduction occur annually in California." Even though stranger abduction is prevalent in our society today, majority of child abductions happen at the hands of a family member.

Child Abduction

In 1996, The Amber Alert System was created to assist the police department and United States Department of Justice to recover these missing children. As of January 2014, approximately 679 children have been safely recovered as a result of the Amber Alert System. There are many resources available that can assist in locating, and sometimes rehabilitating, these missing and/or abducted children, including the Missing Children Investigative Agency (MCIA). The mission of MCIA is "The safety, protection, and return of missing children." There are many investigators, agents, and intelligence analysts in numerous cities nationwide and internationally who help actively pursue and locate these missing children. In addition to these investigators, there are many non-investigative volunteers that help the community stay aware and alert of missing children. These volunteers help with a variety of tasks including: media relations, developing outreach programs, public speaking, clerical work, including grant writing, fundraising, and case management.

If you have any children of your own, you can only imagine how devastating it could be to realize that someone, maybe even a familiar figure such as your ex-spouse, has taken your child away from you. Many parents feel sadness, fear, guilt, anxiety, depression, and anger revolving around their missing child. Parents have expressed their emotions as, "we are living, breathing human beings enduring an unbelievable hell on Earth." For these parents, it is important to keep communication open at all times so they feel heard and understood. It is also important that they have a strong support system to assist them in their emotional roller coaster.

There are a few factors to take into consideration when establishing an abduction report. First and foremost, a timeline of events needs to be established prior to the abduction.   To help identify the abductor, investigators need to outline a list of known persons that the child knows. Other considerations include age, culture, abduction method, length of time missing, etc. As these factors are discovered, investigators can begin canvasing the area to see if anyone has seen any suspicious activity or have any knowledge pertaining to the child's whereabouts.

Unfortunately, there are a high percentage of girls that are abducted than boys, and majority of those girls are victimized. This victimization includes child abuse, including neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Child abduction envelops all of these categories, although not every child who is abducted will experience those types of threats. Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment of a child. Maltreatment of a child includes any act(s) of commission or omission of a parent or guardian that results in harm or potential threat of harm to a child. Although children may exaggerate stories at times, we should always take heed when a child says that they were inappropriately touched by someone, whether or not it was another family member or stranger.

Of course as we have learned ourselves growing up, the best way to maintain our safety growing up is to maintain good parental vision of the child at all times. By helping our children build the habit of talking to us about their problems, it reinforces their safety and keeps communication open. It's also important to teach them not to give out personal information and not to talk to strangers if they are on their own. Teaching children to use the buddy system also helps as abductors are less likely to snatch children who are in pairs or groups instead of on their own. By roleplaying different scenarios with your child on how to avoid and turn away from these 'strangers', it teaches them a set of basic morals to live by to keep them safe and stay out of harm's way. Another method to keep them safe is to create a secret code word that only you, your child, and a few select individuals know. As parents, it is a good idea to keep a file that includes photographs of you, and all family members (kept current and updated, especially whenever there's an appearance change); a list of other parents addresses, phone numbers, email, vehicle make and model (including color, vin, license plate, stickers, dents and any other unusual features or distinguishing characteristics)

To get more information on how you can volunteer or assist in locating missing children, you can visit www.kidfind.org, or contact MCIA hotline at (818) 663-3000. 

Get Serious About Ending Child Abuse

Due to the nature of type of services we provide, we keep some important articles that we love sharing with our clientele. This particular article was written by Sheila Boxley on April 29, 2014 in the Daily News. We feel it is important to provide these articles so the public can have a better understanding and realize that we need to stop this problem from continuing. We need to provide safeguards for our children and for our future generations of children, and grandchildren. 

NEARLY a half million children are reported abused or neglected in California each year, with at least one child dying from that mistreatment every day. In Los Angeles County alone, there were nearly 158,000 cases of child abuse reported in 2009, and more than 37,000 in Orange County.
Yet under California law, child abuse is not classified as a "serious" or "violent" crime. Neither is pimping a child for prostitution, nor using them to make pornography. Unbelievable? Check the penal code.

In a state where voters passed an initiative three years ago protecting the rights of farm animals, this codified disregard for the safety of children is especially troubling. The sad truth is you're better off abusing a child in California than hurting a chicken.

If we're serious about preventing child abuse, reclassifying it as a serious and violent crime is an essential first step, which is precisely what AB 1188 would do. The bill's author, Assemblyman Richard Pan, is a pediatrician who has witnessed the terrible physical and psychological damage suffered by children who have been abused, and understands that its impact is far-reaching - for the victims and for taxpayers.

According to a study by the national Centers for Disease Control, children who endure as few as four traumatic experiences in their young lives are significantly more likely to go to prison, be substance abusers, suffer chronic illnesses or commit suicide as adults. As a state, we're spending billions of dollars every year dealing with these sad consequences of child abuse.

Overcrowded prisons? Some 85 percent of California inmates were abused as children, according to the California Attorney General's Office. Substance abuse? Child abuse victims are 1,030 times more likely to abuse drugs and 740 times more likely to abuse alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The long-term health care costs associated with child abuse are staggering. Victims are 160 times more likely to be morbidly obese as adults, 220 times more likely to smoke and 1,220 times more likely to commit suicide, which is why the center calls child abuse this nation's No. 1 public health crisis. Moreover, child abuse victims are significantly more likely to abuse their own children or beat up their spouses.

AB 1188 will help break this destructive cycle by officially recognizing child abuse as the serious crime it is. Under the bill, the following crimes would be designated "serious" or "violent" felonies: physical child abuse; assault resulting in the death of a child under 8; felony child abuse likely to produce great bodily injury or death; persuading, luring or transporting a minor under 13; and human trafficking. That these horrific crimes are not now classified as "serious" or "violent" under California law is incomprehensible.

In a state where homicide is the leading cause of injury death among children less than 1 year old, and where one child out of 20 is abused, it's time to let the abusers, pornographers and child traffickers know that we're serious about stopping them.

Sheila Boxley is the president and CEO of the California-based Child Abuse Prevention Center

Introducing Our Services

We at Family Care Monitoring Services and would like to take this opportunity to introduce our services to you and the families you work with, who are going through difficult custody situations. We provide professional monitoring services with a family friendly approach to custody visitations.

What is supervised Visitation Monitoring? It is the contact between the child and the non custodial parent in the presence of a neutral third party. This is who we are.

This is what we do, we offer both on and off site visitation services Monday-Sunday  We service the San Fernando Valley, Southern Ventura, Los Angeles, West-side, Redondo Beach, Santa Clarita, and San Gabriel Valley areas, We offer multilingual monitors.  Please call us for additional information and availability. Supervised Visitation services are available from 1 to 24 hour periods depending on the service request and the Court order.

We opened our doors in January of 2006. The owner of our company began providing Supervised Visitation services in 1986, when this was a burgeoning field. Our current referrals come from many of the seated family law Judges in Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley and Ventura Counties; Commissioner’s; Family Law Practice Attorneys; Conciliation Courts; Department of Children Services; Court Evaluators and private practice family Therapists.  We are members in good standing with the Supervised Visitation Network.  Our service evolves as we attend continuing education in the areas of Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Drug and alcohol addiction, Abduction, Report writing and the California Rules of Court Standard 5.20 pertaining specifically to Supervised Visitation Monitoring.

We at Family Care Monitoring Services make it our goal to provide a great service with qualified personnel. We provide easy access for families to utilize our services and treat each participant with respect and dignity. We set effective boundaries upfront so all parties know where our responsibility lies.  We are here to ensure a safe meeting between the children and the non-custodial parent or other visiting participant.

If you would like more information, please message us and we will assist you in the most efficient way possible.

We look forward to speaking with you and your family.

Changes in Rules of Court for Family Law

Family Care Monitoring Services wants to bring to you the most current information on the services we provide. As of 2013, a new California Rule of Court 5.20 has been prepared. It was amended by Assembly Bill 1674, both of which are included with this email.

Probably, the most significant change that we noted is the language as to how we do our job. Previously the Standard 5.20 made strong suggestions using “should” in the guidelines and now the term is “shall”. We have always considered as to what we do is directed by the California Rules of Court. We have our own rules and guidelines regarding how we run our business, but we take very seriously the changes that have been made.  It is our hope that we continue to provide the continued quality of service that is expected of Supervised Visitation Monitors and of Family Care Monitoring Services.

Monitoring can be a very emotional journey for all clients and most especially the children involved in the conflict of divorce or separation. Our job here at Family Care Monitoring Service, is to make an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience into as pleasant and comfortable experience for as long as the supervised visitation is in place. It is our hope that our visiting parents, your clients will use this experience as a tool to understand and strengthen their parenting skills; to really learn how to relate to their children and how to keep their children out of the middle of their conflict with the other parent.

Supervised Visitation does not favor the affluent or working class. It runs rampant all across the board no matter the ethnicity, the educational status, the mental capacity or even how long they have been a parent.

In the last ten years of my life, as an employee and part of the staff of Family care Monitoring Services, I have crossed the paths with a multitude of parents involved in supervised visitation. It has been my experience that most parents having the requirement of monitoring are angry, confused, unsure, stressed and resentful. Very seldom, will you find an amicable divorce requiring monitoring, (it does happen), we see blame being passed back and forth. Most monitoring is determined in the courtroom. Most times, the monitored parent does not understand why they are being monitored. Although it isn’t our job to tell them why they are being monitored, we will try to help them understand what we do. There are two sides to every story and it is not our job to take sides and support one or the other. It is our job to do what we can to facilitate the visit. 

Setting Boundaries and the good parent:

What do children really want or even need? In my experience as a prior Professional Nanny and a Professional Monitor and a Mother, I believe that all children need love, structure and discipline, rules and boundaries, all in a healthy balanced doses. It is my experience that Children who are allowed to ‘Rule the Nest’ crave the need for structure and guidelines! Most of all Children need security, stability and most of all LOVE! When a child is stuck in the middle of an ugly custody dispute, a parent can’t always be the friend. They need to be the parent. Sometimes that involves saying ‘NO’. It involves being an adult and encouraging a relationship with the other parent. It involves being supportive and listening to your children. Not putting your thoughts in their heads. Don’t let your children be damaged by your own anger and feelings. Not to say that your feelings aren’t important, but your children don’t need the stress of dealing with your problems as well. You as the parent must have your own boundaries with your children as well.

Suggestions for visitations:

Parents who come to the visits usually want to or need to bring food/snacks for their children. We encourage all parents to bring healthy nutritious food and not junk food. Additionally, it is very helpful if the custodial parent might advise the non-custodial parent of any food allergies that the children might have. Food can be an argumentative subject with parents, who may not be amicable. This helps to stop friction in between visits.

Parents should plan activities in advance with off-site visitations lasting more than a couple of hours. Have a main plan and perhaps a couple of contingency plans in case of inclement weather or the child not feeling well. If the child is old enough to participate in the planning, do something that is age appropriate for the child. We know that visitations in themselves are high ticket items, so if your child wants to go shopping, you need to set guidelines in advance or find some other activity to do with the child. A parent can find a lot of free and interesting activities to do with their child on the internet.

On-site visitation is a little more difficult to plan activities. If your children are school aged, help them with their homework, or show them you support the activities they are involved in. Listen to your children. It matters

We hope you find this information useful and that you might pass it on to your clients. We look forward to working with you on your next case. If you need additional information, we have access to many resources on different subjects ranging from: Domestic Violence, Sexual abuse and child abduction, grief, etc.