Texas Center for the Missing

TCM will be a Gathering Place where those delivering services to the families of the missing find peers, share knowledge, and form collaborations; an Incubator of new training, technology, methods, programs, and projects; a Rainmaker mobilizing new resources to expand the capacity of organizations to find missing persons and support families; a Think Tank scanning the horizon for new advancements, analyzing their potential applications, and communicating these to community partners and the public at large; and a place where searching families find HOPE.

IMPACT. To effect change and to decrease the number of missing children, we at Texas Center for the Missing know that children and families need to be educated about how to remain safe. Therefore, TCM provides a catalog of prevention education programs.

PREPARE. Preparation for a rapid response to a missing persons incident is critical to the successful recovery of a missing loved one. TCM is the sole provider of Amber Alert Activation Training in our region and provides quality missing persons investigation tools and training to law enforcement. Therefore, TCM provides support services to our law enforcement partners.

RESPOND. TCM was founded by a mother who, following the traumatic search and loss of her own son, saw the need for an organization that could walk with families and provide them the support they need to make it through each day. We remain dedicated to our founding mission and strive to protect and serve the missing and their families through each step of the location and recovery process. Therefore, TCM provides 24/7 crisis case management services for families in crisis.

With a staff of 3 and a volunteer team of 40+, Texas Center for the Missing trains thousands of children, families, caregivers, and law enforcement partners each year. The TCM staff has a combined 50 years of experience in the missing persons field. With that experience and passionate dedication to our mission, we work to meet our goals in the following areas.

IMPACT. TCM prevention education programs include: Alzheimer's Wandering Prevention Training; Child Identification Kit distribution; Interactive Internet Safety Training for all ages; Internet Safety Train-the-Trainer programs for educators and school resource officers; Missing Child Awareness, Prevention, and Education Training for caring adults; and S.A.F.E. Child Puppet Shows for pre-school students.

PREPARE. Support services provided to our law enforcement partners include: First Responder and Investigator Training; Houston Regional Amber Alert Activation Training and Issuance Assistance; Houston Regional Silver Alert Activation Training and Issuance Assistance; Child Abduction Response Team Field Training; and Coordination of the Southeast Texas Child Abduction Response Team.

RESPOND. Services for families in crisis include: 24/7 Crisis Case Management and Information and Referral, Crime Victims' Compensation Advocacy, Families of the Missing Support Group, Law Enforcement and Media Liaison Services, Harris County Missing Persons Day, and Missing Person Flyer Production and Distribution.

IMPACT. Feedback has been extremely positive through evaluations forms. 56% of respondents indicated they “Know Much More" about internet safety and the digital world and an additional 42% indicated they “Know a Little More." 78% of respondents said the training will affect how they monitor their children online. 83% of respondents would recommend the training to other parents. In a study conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at a pilot site with pre- and post-testing results, knowledge and awareness of Internet safety was disturbingly low before the program. However, youth knowledge and awareness increased significantly after participating in the NetSmartz Internet Safety program in all age groups. Bringing this effective program to more youth in Houston is critical.

PREPARE. Law Enforcement Amber Alert Activation Training feedback has been extremely positive through evaluation forms. Ratings listed below are averaged across respondents on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent.
• Respondents rated the Overall Quality of the training as 4.56.
• Handouts were rated as 4.55.
• The Ability of the Trainer to Answer questions was rated as 4.61.
• After attending the training, 93% of respondents felt amply prepared to activate an Amber Alert.


RESPOND. Case Management Services feedback has been extremely positive through evaluation forms. Ratings listed below are averaged across respondents on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent.

• Respondents rated the Overall Quality of Case Manager support as 5.
• Usefulness of Information Provided by Texas Center for the Missing was rated as 3.75.
• The Ability of the Case Manager to Answer Questions was rated as 5.
• The Accessibility of the Case Manager was rated as 5.

Sample respondent note: “When my daughter went missing, this organization reached out to me in my time of stress and need. They went above and beyond my expectations. Not only did they assist in finding her, but they helped find and get her to a safe place. Melissa Rangel was my contact there and blew me away with her devotion to my case. I cannot thank them enough. They were definitely the answer to this mother's prayers. Thank you so much TEXAS CENTER FOR THE MISSING and Melissa Rangel (my angel)."

In 2019 alone, 37 families were reunited as a direct result of TCM Case Management services and assistance.