Within the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has the primary responsibility for addressing issues related to children. The challenges that confront children are of great concern to us at OJP and are something we address on a daily basis. OJJDP funds a number of programs that promote child safety and help delinquent youth to turn their lives around.

OJJDP works to meet the needs of missing, exploited, and runaway children and their families through direct services, research and demonstration programs, and training and technical assistance provided to a variety of community members. As national coordinator for AMBER Alert, I have been working with many partners to help states improve their ability to respond rapidly to recover abducted children. OJJDP, in conjunction with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has played a pivotal role in the campaign to promote national implementation of AMBER Alert.

OJJDP also coordinates the juvenile component of OJP's Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative. A collaborative effort involving a number of federal agencies, the Reentry Initiative is working to ensure that serious, violent offenders who have been released from correctional facilities can successfully reenter their communities and become productive, law-abiding citizens.

Children are the future of our nation. Protecting them from harm and providing them with the opportunity to lead successful lives are essential if that future is to be realized.