Why a Petition? The experiences of Fran's parents since her disappearance have created their desire to help all
parents of missing at risk and/or endangered adults.
Fran's family has worked hard to encourage the Canadian Government to establish a national clearinghouse for
missing, at-risk and/or endangered adults. While assistance is available for missing children under the age of
18 years, adults do not currently have a federally funded association to track and report on their status. Fran's
parents feel strongly that "no one should have to hear that their missing loved one is too old to receive
help." Their efforts to inform the Federal Government about this lack of support, and their request to put into
law a national system for the coordination of missing, at-risk or endangered adults have led to the successful tabling of a petition
in the House of Commons to this effect.
Fran's family has further outlined their reasons for the establishment of a National Clearinghouse:
Goal: To create a national clearinghouse in Canada for missing at risk/endangerd adults.
Background: Fran Young of Vancouver, BC went out for a walk from her residence in the
Kitsilano area on a spring evening in 1996, and vanished without a trace.
Problem: When Fran's mother called the Missing Children Society of Canada, she was told
there was nothing they could do. The MCSC, which received $1.5 million in donations last year, can only help
when the person who is missing is under the age of 18.
The issue of missing adults is often complex. Adults are presumed capable of exercising a level of judgment
necessary to prevent their abduction and any subsequent harm they may suffer and have the legal right to
disappear without notifying family and friends. The fact remains, however, that thousands of men and women
are reported missing each year due to foul play. As of January 2000 to December 2000, there are 21,682
missing adults over the age of 18 listed at the Canadian Police Information Center. The Missing Children
Society of Canada created in 1986, offers no entries for adults over the age of 18. As an organization whose
mandate extends only to search for missing children, MCSC can offer little or no assistance to those desperately
searching for someone who disappeared at the age of 18 or older.
Fran's Petition
This petition would provide for federal funding to establish a national clearinghouse for missing adults. Similar
to the Missing Children Society of Canada, this center would assist law enforcement and families in missing persons'
cases of those of the age of 18. The center would only take up cases that are determined by law enforcement to be
foul play and would not help to locate adults who are trying to disappear.
Special thanks to the Modafferi family at http://www.modlink.com
Do you want to help encourage the Canadian government to establish this clearinghouse for missing adults?
