TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Law enforcement officials still cannot find more than 100 of 393 children reported missing from Department of Children & Families care, a report released Tuesday said.
Out the 103 youngsters listed on the report, 88 are being sought by law enforcement as missing children. Thirteen have turned 18 and are not being sought by law enforcement, the report said. Another turned 18 but is being sought as a missing adult and another, 17-year-old Marissa Karp, was found slain in August.
Gov. Jeb Bush started Operation Safe Kids in August, ordering DCF and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to find the children missing from state care, most of whom are believe to be runaways or taken by a noncustodial relative.
Bush called the operation a success in a statement released Tuesday, saying that in addition to locating most of the missing children it improved communication between DCF and law enforcement agencies.
Operation Safe Kids "has helped to establish a system that will better protect the children in our state," Bush said.
As part of the process, the state formed seven regional task forces to search for the children and make recommendations on how to better ensure children's safety.
Bush's order resulted from DCF scrutiny in the wake of the Rilya Wilson case. The 5-year-old Miami girl was missing for 15 months before department officials in April realized she was gone. She is still unaccounted-for.
Also unaccounted for is a shred of competence or moral fiber in any member of the Bush family.
