[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37285-37290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18140]


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[[Page 37286]]


DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP No. 1092]
[ZRIN 1121-ZA42]


Title IV Missing and Exploited Children's Fiscal Year 1996 
Program Announcement

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention.

ACTION: Notice of proposed program plan for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is 
publishing its Title IV Missing and Exploited Children's Fiscal Year 
(FY) 1996 Proposed Program Plan and is soliciting public comment on the 
proposed plan and priorities. Based on analysis of public comments, 
OJJDP will issue its final FY 1996 Title IV Program Plan.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by September 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Public comments may be mailed to Shay Bilchik, 
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 
633 Indiana Avenue N.W., Room 742, Washington, D.C. 20531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald C. Laney, Director, Missing and 
Exploited Children's Program, 202-616-3637. [This is not a toll-free 
number.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Missing and Exploited Children's Program 
is a program of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention (OJJDP). Pursuant to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974, as amended, provisions of section 406 
(a)(2), codified at 42 U.S.C. 5776, the Administrator of OJJDP is 
publishing for public comment a Program Plan for activities authorized 
by Title IV, the Missing Children's Assistance Act, codified at 42 
U.S.C. 5771 et seq., that OJJDP proposes to implement in FY 1996. 
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 plans to fund during FY 
1996 using Title IV funds.
    The actual solicitation of grant applications under the Final 
Program Plan will be published at a later date in the Federal Register. 
No proposals, concept papers, or other types of applications should be 
submitted at this time.

Background: The Nature of the Problem of Missing and Exploited 
Children

    The issues involving missing and exploited children can be divided 
into four categories: family abduction, nonfamily abduction, child 
exploitation, and the impact these events have on children and 
families. These issues are summarized below, using data drawn from the 
1988 National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, or 
Thrownaway Children (NISMART).

Family Abduction

    An estimated 354,100 family abductions occur each year. Forty-six 
percent of these abductions (163,200) involve concealment of the child, 
transportation of the child out of State, or intent by the abductor to 
keep the child indefinitely or to permanently alter custody. Of this 
more serious subcategory of family abductions, a little more than half 
are perpetrated by men who are noncustodial fathers and father figures. 
Most victims are children between the ages of 2 to 11. Half involve 
unauthorized takings, and half involve failure to return the child 
after an authorized visit or stay. Fifteen percent of these abductions 
involve the use of force or violence. Between 75 to 85 percent involve 
interstate transportation of the child. About half of family abductions 
occur before the relationship ends. Half do not occur until 2 or more 
years after a divorce or separation, usually after parents develop new 
households, move away, develop new relationships, or become 
disenchanted with the legal system. More than half occur in the context 
of relationships with a history of domestic violence. An estimated 49 
percent of abductors have criminal records, and a significant number 
have a history of violent behavior, substance abuse, or emotional 
disturbance. It is not uncommon for child victims of family abduction 
to have their names and appearances altered; to experience medical or 
physical neglect, unstable schooling, homelessness; or to endure 
frequent moves. These children are often told lies about the abduction 
and the left-behind parent, even that the left-behind parent is dead.

Nonfamily Abduction

    An estimated 3,200 to 4,600 short-term nonfamily abductions are 
known to law enforcement each year. Of these, an estimated 200 to 300 
are stereotypical kidnapings where a child is gone overnight, is 
killed, or is transported a distance of 50 miles or more or where the 
perpetrator intends to keep the child permanently. Young teenagers and 
girls are the most common victims. Two-thirds of short-term abductions 
involve a sexual assault. A majority are abducted from the street. More 
than 85 percent of nonfamily abductions involve force, and more than 75 
percent involve a weapon. Most episodes last less than a day. Most 
researchers and practitioners consider the number of short-term 
abductions to be an underestimate because of police reporting methods 
and lack of reporting on the part of victims. FBI data support 
estimates of 43 to 147 stranger abduction homicides of children 
annually between 1976 and 1987. An estimated 114,600 nonfamily 
abductions are attempted each year, all involving strangers and usually 
involving an attempt to lure a child into a car. In a majority of these 
cases, the police were not contacted.

Child Exploitation

    Children are also at risk of being victimized as a result of a 
range of circumstances that fall into three categories: running away, 
being thrownaway by parents or guardians, or being otherwise lost or 
missing.
    An estimated 446,700 children run away from households each year. 
In addition, an estimated 12,800 children run from juvenile facilities 
each year. Many children who run from households also run from 
facilities. About one-third of these runaways left home or a juvenile 
facility more than once. Of all runaways, 133,500 are without secure 
and familiar places to stay during their episodes. More than a third of 
runaways run away more than once during the year. One in ten travels a 
distance of more than 100 miles. Of the runaways from juvenile 
facilities, almost one-half leave the State. Runaways are mostly 
teenagers, but almost 10 percent are 11 years old and younger. They 
tend to come disproportionately from households with stepparents. 
Family conflict seems to be at the heart of most runaway episodes. 
Between 60 and 70 percent of runaways report being seriously abused 
physically. Sexual abuse estimates range from 25 to 80 percent of the 
total. Runaways, particularly chronic runaways, are at higher risk for 
physical and sexual victimization, substance abuse, sexually 
transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies, violence, and suicide.
    There are an estimated 127,100 thrownaway children who are directly 
told to leave their households, who have been away from home and are 
not allowed back by their caretakers, whose caretakers make no effort 
to recover them when they have run away, or who

[[Page 37287]]

have been abandoned or deserted. By comparison, for every child who is 
a thrownaway, there are four runaway children. An estimated 59,200 
thrownaway children are without secure and familiar places to stay 
during the episodes. Most thrownaways are older teenagers, but 
abandoned children tend to be young (half under the age of 4). 
Thrownaways are concentrated in low-income families and families 
without both natural parents. Compared to runaways, thrownaways 
experience more violence and conflict within their families and are 
less likely to return home.
    An estimated 438,200 children are lost, injured, or otherwise 
missing each year. Of these, 139,100 cases are serious enough for the 
police to be called. Almost half involve children under 4. Most of 
these episodes last less than a day. A fifth of the children 
experienced physical harm. Fourteen percent of the children were abused 
or assaulted during the episodes.

Impact on Children and Families

    The majority of families of missing children experience substantial 
psychological consequences and emotional distress. The level of 
emotional distress equals or exceeds the emotional distress for other 
groups of individuals exposed to trauma, such as combat veterans and 
victims of rape, assault, or other violent crime, with families where 
the missing child is subsequently recovered deceased exhibiting the 
highest level of emotional distress. Once home, a third of abducted 
children live in constant fear of a reabduction. Many child victims of 
family abduction experience substantial psychological consequences and 
emotional distress. Trauma symptoms may be evident for up to 4 or 5 
years after recovery. More than 80 percent of recoveries of missing 
children are concluded in less than 15 minutes with no psychological or 
social service support. Almost four-fifths of victims and families of 
missing children do not receive mental health or counseling services. 
The only nonfamily person present is most often a police officer.

Long Range Plan for Future Title IV Funding

    In FY 1995 OJJDP published a Long Range Plan for Title IV, which 
was based on the latest research in the field and on the input of 
experts and individuals who had been involved in family abduction 
cases. This Long Range Plan was designed to guide the expenditure of 
funds appropriated under Title IV for programs and services to benefit 
missing and exploited children and their families. OJJDP uses the Long 
Range Plan to establish Missing Children's Assistance Act priorities, 
develop programs, make grant awards, and deliver technical assistance 
and training.
    As part of the Long Range Plan, OJJDP's Title IV funds are 
allocated to address three major goals. Each of these goals is aimed at 
improving services to missing and exploited children and their families 
by using existing community resources and multidisciplinary approaches. 
The three goals established in the Long Range Plan and OJJDP's current 
and proposed strategies to meet them are discussed below.

Goal 1: Increase Awareness of Problems Relating to Missing and 
Exploited Children

    OJJDP is developing a series of clearly stated messages about 
missing and exploited children and vehicles to disseminate this 
information to targeted audiences. In cooperation with the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), OJJDP is developing 
public service announcements (PSA's) to communicate information about 
the human, economic, and social costs of the victimization of missing 
and exploited children and their families. PSA's aimed at parents, 
professionals, and policymakers will be used to increase the visibility 
of the problem of missing and exploited children (including those who 
are abducted by their parents), raise public awareness about the needs 
of these children, and bring greater attention to the resources and 
services that are available to aid and support children who are 
missing, abducted, or victimized.
    In FY 1996 OJJDP plans to use new technologies, such as 
teleconferencing and video training materials, to increase awareness 
and understanding of issues associated with missing and exploited 
children. OJJDP also will allocate funds to State clearinghouses 
through NCMEC to upgrade their online communications networks and 
enhance their ability to disseminate information about missing and 
exploited children. Supplemental funds will be awarded to NCMEC's 
Resource Center to provide these upgrades.
    OJJDP plans to conduct training workshops in FY 1996 for State 
clearinghouses and missing children's organizations on 
multijurisdictional collaboration to offer communities creative 
solutions to common problems and challenges.
    Another important step is development of strategies to determine if 
PSA's and messages regarding missing and exploited children are 
reaching their intended audience and improving understanding about the 
problems and needs associated with these children. Survey information 
or focus groups can be used to evaluate and assess how well public 
education materials impart key facts about prevention, intervention 
services, and the need to prosecute crimes against children committed 
by adults.

Goal 2: Develop Community Approaches for Addressing Problems 
Relating to Missing and Exploited Children

    OJJDP will use the Title IV program to identify, design, and make 
available effective community approaches for addressing the problems of 
missing and exploited children and their families. These approaches 
will deal with specific aspects of family abduction, nonfamily 
abduction, and otherwise missing children.
    Two Title IV projects will identify gaps and overlaps, increase 
knowledge and information about missing and exploited children, and 
improve the system's response to these children. OJJDP's Prevention of 
Parent or Family Abduction of Children Through Early Intervention Risk 
Factors is designed to reduce the number of parental abductions by 
identifying the factors and circumstances that are most likely to lead 
to the abduction of a child by a parent or a family member. Through 
increased awareness and understanding of risk factors, prevention and 
intervention tactics can be more sharply focused. NISMART II (National 
Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway 
Children II), which was awarded in FY 1995 and is scheduled for 
completion in FY 1998, will improve understanding of the needs and 
problems associated with missing and exploited children. This study 
will expand the information and data generated by the original NISMART 
study and will generate more information about relatively new 
categories of missing children such as thrownaways and otherwise lost 
children.
    In addition to these studies, Title IV has funded a number of 
initiatives that are responding to needs and gaps already identified in 
the field. The American Bar Association (ABA) is establishing a network 
of attorneys to represent families in legal actions under the Hague 
Convention. The ABA is recruiting and providing legal support to these 
attorneys, who will work with families referred from the NCMEC and the 
U.S. Department of State.

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    Through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Missing and 
Exploited Children Organizations (AMECO), a consortium of nonprofit 
organizations, standardized intake forms and procedures are being 
developed for nonprofit missing children's organizations (NPO's). 
Training and technical assistance needs of NPO's are being identified 
through focus groups, surveys of State missing children clearinghouses 
and nonprofit organizations, and consultation with AMECO 
representatives. After the identification of training needs, OJJDP's 
Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Project will develop a 
curriculum for training.
    Title IV programs emphasize the use of existing resources and the 
development of multiagency approaches for dealing with missing and 
exploited children issues. This includes programs to help communities 
develop comprehensive case management methods and approaches, programs 
focusing on addressing confidentiality and information sharing issues 
and concerns, and programs that promote interagency collaboration.
    Effective Community-Based Approaches for Dealing with Missing and 
Exploited Children, awarded in FY 1995, is a study that will help 
communities establish methods and procedures for multiagency planning 
and resource sharing. Conducted by the ABA, this study will identify 
effective community-based approaches for dealing with missing and 
exploited children. Study results will be used to design a training 
curriculum to help communities plan, implement, and evaluate a 
multiagency response to missing and exploited children and their 
families.
    OJJDP's Missing and Exploited Children's Comprehensive Action 
Program (M/CAP), originally funded in FY 1988, has provided training 
and technical assistance to help local communities identify and address 
problems relating to missing and exploited children. Through a self-
assessment process, community agencies are encouraged to work together 
to identify issues and needs; examine, plan, and allocate resources 
more effectively; and establish a comprehensive case-management system 
for serving missing and exploited children. M/CAP emphasizes 
multiagency cooperation and collaboration, information and resource 
sharing, and community planning and action. In FY 1996 M/CAP will be 
integrated into OJJDP's Title IV Training and Technical Assistance 
Program.
    To encourage both justice system and human service agencies to 
participate actively in addressing issues associated with missing and 
exploited children, Title IV training programs and activities promote 
the use of community-based, multiagency teams to address issues 
relating to missing and exploited children. Attendance at many of 
OJJDP's training programs (such as M/CAP, cited above, and the Child 
Abuse and Exploitation Team Investigative Program) requires 
participation by both justice and human service agencies.
    To ensure that OJJDP is abreast of emerging training needs and that 
Title IV training programs meet the needs of professionals in the 
field, OJJDP and its training and technical assistance providers are 
establishing a comprehensive training and technical assistance plan 
that is coordinated with other Federal agency training programs. 
Current and planned training and technical assistance activities are 
based on a thorough needs assessment of various constituent groups, 
including nonprofit organizations, law enforcement personnel, and 
attorneys. OJJDP integrates the latest research and evaluation results 
into its missing and exploited children training and technical 
assistance programs.
    A calendar with a schedule of Title IV training and technical 
assistance activities is produced and updated on a regular basis. This 
schedule is used to plan Title IV training programs and activities; 
track resources, course availability, and demand; and coordinate Title 
IV activities with training and technical assistance activities 
sponsored by other Federal, State, local, private, or public agencies 
and other organizations.
    OJJDP is also developing new training programs in direct response 
to needs identified from the field and reflected in the Title IV Long 
Range Plan. One example is the training that is being developed for 
chief executive officers (CEO's). CEO's have not been adequately 
targeted to receive information and training related to Title IV. As a 
result missing and exploited children's issues have not been given the 
level of priority necessary to effect change. Through OJJDP's Title IV 
Training and Technical Assistance Program, conducted by Fox Valley 
Technical College, a 1-day CEO program is being designed to highlight 
the most current research and practice relating to missing and 
exploited children. This program will enhance CEO knowledge and 
awareness about missing and exploited children needs and issues, 
improve community response to these children, and help community 
leaders integrate the needs and concerns of missing and exploited 
children into their overall community plans and strategies.
    A 40-hour Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation Training 
curriculum for law enforcement investigators also was developed and 
tested this past year. This course will be offered regionally and will 
become part of the comprehensive training and technical assistance 
program offered through Title IV.
    Through the Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program, 
OJJDP will conduct a State clearinghouse needs assessment to identify 
problems and concerns and training and technical assistance needs. This 
information will be used to develop strategies and resources to respond 
to these concerns.
    In FY 1996 OJJDP will identify information gaps and needs and 
address them through research, training, technical assistance, and 
other support. Through an interagency agreement, OJJDP will support an 
FBI research manager position and pay for investigating agents' travel 
expenses to interview convicted pedophiles. The purpose of these 
interviews is to increase law enforcement's understanding of homicidal 
pedophiles' methods in target selection, body disposal, advance 
planning, and luring strategies.

Goal 3: Provide Assistance to Communities to Help Them Implement 
Effective Approaches for Serving This Population

    OJJDP assists communities committed to implementing effective 
approaches for dealing with the problems of missing and exploited 
children and their families. This assistance includes site visits, 
training, assessment reports, publications, teleconferences, and 
delivery of technical assistance and services.
    OJJDP is developing a marketing plan to identify communities, 
constituent groups, or practitioners that might be interested in making 
further use of services supported by Title IV. The needs assessments of 
various constituent groups will contribute to this marketing plan and 
strategy. The marketing plan will be based on an analysis of the 
location of various types of child victimization related to Title IV 
and past community interest in Title IV issues. Materials and methods 
for marketing technical assistance and training to these communities 
will be developed.
    To complement OJJDP's planning for future training and assessment 
of technical assistance needs, OJJDP is

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expanding its evaluation of technical assistance and training 
activities funded through Title IV. Grantees who deliver these services 
will provide the names and addresses of all individuals who requested 
and received services through Title IV. This information will be used 
to distribute evaluation surveys to assess the quality and 
effectiveness of services delivered.

Fiscal Year 1996 Programs

    The Title IV continuation programs and proposed new programs for FY 
1996 are summarized below. The available funds, listing of 
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. OJJDP has a 
limited amount of funds for new programs in FY 1996. Proposed new 
program funding levels are based on the availability of appropriations. 
Additional programs may be added to the plan based on the review and 
comment process.

Continuation Programs

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. ($3,195,000)

    This 3-year cooperative agreement funds the operation of a national 
resource center and clearinghouse as mandated in section 404 (b), 42 
U.S.C. 5773, of the JJDPA. The Clearinghouse operates a 24-hour toll-
free telephone line through which individuals may report information 
regarding the location of a child who is missing or who is age 13 or 
younger and whose whereabouts are unknown to the child's legal 
custodian or request information pertaining to procedures necessary to 
reunite the child with the legal guardian. The Clearinghouse is 
responsible for providing a wide range of assistance to State and local 
governments, public and private nonprofit agencies, and individuals. 
This assistance includes coordinating public and private programs that 
locate, recover, or reunite missing children with their legal 
guardians; providing training and technical assistance; disseminating 
information about innovative and model missing children's programs; and 
facilitating the lawful use of school records to identify and locate 
missing children.
    In FY 1996 an additional $100,000 over the amount of FY 1995 
funding will be provided to the Clearinghouse grantee, NCMEC, to 
upgrade the State clearinghouse online communications network. 
Enhancements will include updated personal computers and software 
components, high speed modems, advanced software, and imaging 
capability.

National Alzheimer Patient Alert Program. ($900,000)

    OJJDP has responsibility for this program because NCMEC serves as 
the clearinghouse and operates the hotline for the Alzheimer program. 
The purpose of this program is to continue to expand the national 
registry of memory-impaired persons, support the toll-free telephone 
service, provide a Fax Alert System, conduct a ``train the trainers'' 
program for law enforcement and emergency personnel, develop 
information and educational materials, launch a national public 
awareness campaign, and transition current ``wandering persons'' 
programs into the national safe return program.

Title IV Training and Technical Assistance. ($1,250,000)

    The Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program assists 
OJJDP and missing children grantees in raising the awareness of missing 
children services and improving system capabilities to meet the needs 
of missing and exploited children. This is accomplished by developing 
and implementing quality training and technical assistance for Federal, 
State, and local governments; nonprofit organizations; and Title IV 
grantees. The grantee, Fox Valley Technical College, uses an advisory 
board composed of law enforcement, nonfamily and family abduction 
victim parents, and family services, mental health, prosecution, 
school, and medical professionals to provide input and direction.
    In FY 1996 the Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program 
also will assume responsibility for providing training and technical 
assistance related to the Missing and Exploited Children's 
Comprehensive Action Program (M/CAP). M/CAP is a national demonstration 
project to promote the implementation of multiagency community 
approaches to respond to missing and exploited children cases. Through 
a broad program of technical assistance and training, M/CAP has helped 
agencies develop an effective multiagency team to deal with missing and 
exploited children cases and provided training and technical assistance 
to build specialized skills to handle these cases.
    In FY 1996 assistance will be offered to project sites that are in 
the process of developing a long-range implementation plan. Training 
and technical assistance will also be provided to sites that have 
already adopted long-range implementation plans. Training and technical 
assistance materials will be incorporated into the Title IV Training 
and Technical Assistance Program. Existing M/CAP sites will be 
encouraged to serve as regional technical assistance sites to provide 
OJJDP with a mechanism to support the delivery of services through the 
Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program.

Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organizations (AMECO). 
($28,430)

    An award will be made to AMECO, a consortium of nonprofit 
organizations (NPO's), to further enhance and support the capabilities 
of nonprofit organizations serving missing and exploited children. 
Specifically, AMECO will be developing standardized intake forms for 
NPO's, developing communications systems (online networks) to link 
NPO's, developing and distributing an NPO newsletter to discuss 
emerging themes and legislative issues, enhancing information sharing, 
facilitating discussions regarding fundraising among NPO's, and working 
with OJJDP to identify and assess the training and technical assistance 
needs of NPO's.

National Missing Children Data Archive. ($25,000)

    This agreement continues funding for the Missing Children Data 
Archive. Through a cooperative agreement with the University of 
Michigan Consortium for Political and Social Research, staff process 
and archive OJJDP missing children data into a readily understandable, 
standard format (this includes data sets produced through OJJDP missing 
children projects).

National Crime Information Center (NCIC). ($100,000)

    FY 1996 funds will be awarded to continue NCMEC's online access to 
the FBI National Crime Information Center's Wanted and Missing Persons 
files.

NISMART II. ($1,494,782)

    Temple University Institute for Survey Research was awarded a grant 
in FY 1995 to conduct the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, 
Exploited, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART II). 
This project builds on the strengths and creatively addressees some of 
the weaknesses of NISMART I. Temple has assembled a team of experts in 
the field of child victimization and survey research capabilities, 
particularly surveys involving children and families

[[Page 37290]]

concerning sensitive topics. Temple is contracting with the University 
of New Hampshire Survey Research Lab and Westat, Inc., to carry out 
specific components of the study and providing extensive background 
knowledge about the particulars of NISMART I. Specifically, the project 
will (1) Revise NISMART definitions, (2) conduct a household survey 
that interviews both caretaker and child, (3) conduct a police records 
study, (4) conduct a juvenile facilities study, (5) analyze National 
Incidence Study--3 Community Professionals Study, (6) develop a single 
estimate of missing children, and (7) conduct analyses and prepare 
reports. No additional funds will be awarded to this project in FY 
1996. The project is scheduled for completion in FY 1998.

Missing Children Program To Increase Understanding of Child Sexual 
Exploitation. ($98,000)

    This project is a joint effort between OJJDP and the Office for 
Victims of Crimes. The goal of the project is to learn more about the 
missing children problem as it relates to children who become the 
victims of sexual exploitation, including pornography and prostitution; 
the precipitating circumstances surrounding children's path to 
involvement in pornography and prostitution; and the response of law 
enforcement, social welfare, and judicial systems to this serious and 
growing problem. The Educational Development Center is completing Phase 
II of this project, which involves youth interviews and the completion 
of reports.
    Awarded with FY 1994 funding, the project is scheduled for 
completion in June 1997.

Effective Community-Based Approaches for Dealing With Missing and 
Exploited Children. ($249,234)

    In FY 1995 the ABA was awarded an 18-month grant to study effective 
community-based approaches for dealing with missing and exploited 
children. The objectives of Phase I of this study are to (1) Conduct a 
national search for communities that have implemented a multiagency 
response to missing and exploited children and their families, (2) 
select five communities with a viable working multiagency response that 
holds promise for replication, (3) evaluate these five communities, and 
(4) prepare a final report. In Phase II the ABA will design and develop 
a modular training curriculum to help communities plan, implement, and 
evaluate a multiagency response to missing and exploited children and 
their families. No funds will be awarded in FY 1996.

Obstacles to the Recovery and Return of Parentally Abducted Children: 
International Child Abduction Attorney Network. ($170,299)

    The goal of this project is to establish the International Child 
Abduction Network, composed of attorneys who are willing to represent 
parents on a pro bono basis in legal actions under the Hague Convention 
on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and who are 
knowledgeable of the Hague and its implementing status in the United 
States. The key objectives of this project are to recruit 300 attorneys 
within 10 months; update, produce, and disseminate relevant legal 
materials for these attorneys, including special issue briefs; and 
establish a mechanism for upkeep and continuation of the referral 
network over time. This referral network will be used by NCMEC to 
resolve incoming Hague Convention cases. Funding for this 1-year 
project was awarded to the ABA in FY 1995. The project will be 
completed in FY 1996.

New Programs

Parent Resource Support Network. ($125,000)

    OJJDP proposes to solicit competitive proposals for an assistance 
award to a nonprofit organization to develop and maintain a parent 
support network. The need for victim parents to speak with other victim 
parents has emerged as a constant theme in several OJJDP focus groups. 
The goal of this project would be to stimulate development of a network 
of screened and trained parent volunteers who will provide assistance 
and advice to other victim parents.

Product Development and Technical Assistance on Computer Crimes. 
($150,000)

    OJJDP plans to solicit competitive proposals for assistance in 
developing materials on child sexual exploitation to aid State 
legislatures that are considering new laws on computer-related crime 
against children (e.g., the use of the Internet for enticement of 
children). A complete analysis of Federal and State laws relating to 
computers and crimes against children is needed, leading to specific 
recommendations in policy, practice, and law. Areas to cover include, 
but are not limited to, constitutional issues, privacy issues, 
liability of law enforcement officers and network providers, legal 
responsibility of parents, and legal issues relating to providers' 
screening communications and participants on the Internet. Products 
include a survey of laws and trends; an annotated bibliography of 
current literature; legal issue briefs on specific key issues; model 
statutes; training curriculums for law enforcement officers, 
prosecutors, and law schools; and a comprehensive dissemination plan.

Judicial Teleconference on Interstate and Intrastate Child Abduction. 
($50,000)

    State court judges do not have sufficient information or knowledge 
regarding the laws pertaining to interstate and international parental 
abduction. This lack of information impedes effective resolution of 
jurisdictional conflicts between States and implementation of the Hague 
Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. A 
teleconference on interstate and international child custody 
jurisdiction and parental abduction would provide an opportunity for 
judges around the country to access information in an affordable, 
convenient forum. Conference proceedings can be used to develop a 
guidebook for judges. OJJDP proposes to fund this teleconference 
through an existing Part C discretionary grant with Eastern Kentucky 
University.

    Dated: July 14, 1996.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 96-18140 Filed 7-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-19-P