ICAN Child Abduction Taskforce

Child Abduction Taskforce

What is the ICAN Child Abduction Taskforce?

In 1990 ICAN formed the multidisciplinary Child Abduction Task Force (TF) to work both on assisting law enforcement and other agencies in locating abducted children AND in providing reunification counseling for children and families when a child is recovered.

The Task Force initially focused on various law enforcement agencies in the WLA area. The project expanded and went county-wide in 1995, and is currently known as: The ICAN Child Abduction TF/Reunification of Missing Children Program.

The current make-up of the Task Force includes:

  • Community-based mental health and child and family counseling programs;
  • District Attorney;
  • FBI;
  • DCFS;
  • County Counsel; and chair of the Task Force;
  • LAPD;
  • LASD;
  • DPSS;
  • Find The Children (FTC), the coordinating agency for child abduction services in Los Angeles County:
  • Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).

The Program’s Goal is to reduce trauma to children and families who fall victim to parental or stranger abduction by providing an effective and coordinated multi-disciplinary response.

Specific services include:

  • Roundtable of cases to provide advice and support to case carrying workers;
  • Linkage to support services;
  • Various Mental Health Agencies;
  • Coordination of Law Enforcement efforts; and
  • Child Protection and Mental Health Support to preserve on-going family stability.

FTC places a strong emphasis on prevention and education through community outreach and programs such as the Elementary School & Parent Presentation program, known as KID INTUITION.

The goal of programs like these is to educate the public on issues of child abduction and abuse and to present measures that should be taken to help ensure the safety of all children.

Task Force participants provide expertise and assess each case for further action. In 1996, FTC added children abducted from Foster care to its case management program. Today roughly 95% of their cases are referred by DCFS.

The Task Force meets monthly, on the third Wednesday of the month from 12:30-2 p.m., and evaluates the process of on-going cases receiving services; and all cases are reviewed.

If you would like to bring a child abduction case to the task force please contact Principal DCC Alyssa Skolnick, TF Chair, at Askolnick@counsel.lacounty.gov

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