BUFFALO, N.Y. — On average, a child goes missing every 40 seconds nationwide, according to the Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center. While many of those reports are resolved within hours, the urgency and resources needed are something that should never be understated, and in this case, they got some help.

"Each time a child goes missing, whether they're classified as a runaway or any other type of missing child, they're all endangered,” said Cindy Neff, the manager of the Missing Children's Clearinghouse at the Division of Criminal Justice Services. They help track data, but more importantly, implement measures to fight missing children statistics.

"Putting together a group of subject matter experts that could help local law enforcement, with their active missing child cases," she said.

That was the idea behind the Clearinghouse and the National Child Protection Task Force that ran a pilot program with the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs. 

"We already have a great working relationship with Buffalo PD and the Child Advocacy Center, which is serving as our pilot program for a runaway intervention program," Neff added. "So I thought this would be the best place to start out doing this operation."

Kevin Branzetti, the CEO of the task force, sees a couple major factors for this program to help with these cases.

"One, case backlog; there's not a police department in this country that does not suffer from a case backlog," he listed. "Two is technology. Whether it's Buffalo PD, NYPD, the FBI, I don't care the agency — no agency can keep up with technology. The advancements are too fast, too furious."

The initial stint? Forty-seven kids previously reported missing across Erie County alone were found. It might not be the biggest number but when it comes to face value, it's a meaningful start. 

"Statewide, last year in 2023, we had 12,623 reports of missing children," said Neff. "But I can tell you that a little more than 50% of those missing child reports are for the same children."

Another key factor for this program is going beyond the find.

"If a kid runs away, that kid's running away for a reason, you know? And it's our job as the adults to help that child," said Branzetti. "They're screaming for help. It's our job to help them."

The hope is that this program is the beginning of something big. 

"Every investigator that left that room had new knowledge, new friends, new tools [and] new techniques," he added. "So it wasn't just about the 47 that were found since that event; there are more kids that are found. There are more cases being cleared and that will continue to grow."

For as much success as they had here, the next city getting help with this specific program is Albany in March, with the hope that networking builds connections across the state so every child comes back safe.

"Starting point is that first time they leave that home, you got to find them," added Branzetti. "Then you’ve got to find the ‘why’ and help them and invest time in them today so that they can have a successful life later on."