2007

Organization

The Operation L.A.P. ® Foundation is a non profit that helps find missing children and prevents children from going missing by promoting public policies, educating the public and providing families, law enforcement and communities with the ongoing support and expertise needed to protect our children.

History

The Foundation was formed following the 2002 abduction of 7-year-old Alexis Patterson, who was last by her step-father on the corner by her school. Since then, we have helped over 300 families with missing children and played an instrumental role in a national campaign that established Amber Alerts in all 50 states and nationally.

Services

• 24 hour call center and response team for information, support and referrals based on our Family Unity Model to ensure children are returned safely to a safe environment
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• Programs to educate children, parents, and the community on the most effective ways to protect endangered children and prevent children from going missing.
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• Efforts to advocate, pass, and implement public policies that protect our kids.
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• Worldwide distribution of free abduction prevention and Internet safety materials on www.wcmckids.org.
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• Emergency Response Search Assistance Team (ERSAT) of Volunteers who distribute missing child posters in their communities throughout the area and conduct searches.

Partners

In addition to on-going relationships with law enforcement and other agencies that work to protect children, the Operation L.A.P. ® Foundation also partners with:

• Y.E.S., Inc., a personal safety and life skills educational program empowering children to escape violence or harm, www.yeswi.org.
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• Safe Kids Identification Program (S.K.I.P.), distributors of Child Identification Kits, www.adiv-usa.com/SKIPWI.htm
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• Take Root, a support organization for adults who were kidnapped by family members as children, www.takeroot.org.

Management  

John D. Robins-Wells,  Senior Agent/Executive Director
Daniel Schultz,            Vice President-in-charge Milwaukee Operations
Duane “Dewey” Olsen, Response Department Director

Board 

Elena Rivera,    President
Barbara Huber, Vice President/Treasurer
Beth Ratzburg, Secretary

Cary D. Evers, James Shelenske, Daniel Schultz, Brian Scott, Laurie Reed

Funding

Funding sources include private gifts, auto donor proceeds and corporate contributions. The Operation L.A.P.® Foundation receives no government funding.