AG Lynn FitchJACKSON — Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced the launch of Operation Hope on Monday, a new multi-agency initiative aimed at locating missing foster children, with authorities saying 13 children were found and brought to safety during the operation.
Fitch joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams, HHS Inspector General T. March Bell and Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services Commissioner Andrea Sanders to announce the program.
Officials said the operation combined law enforcement, child welfare agencies and support services in an effort to locate vulnerable children in foster care before they could be exploited or harmed.
“We are proud to have helped kick off this program here in Mississippi,” Fitch said. “Over the past several weeks of planning and in the execution of the operation last week, it was always our intention not only to locate vulnerable Mississippi youth but also to create a model that can be used in other states.”
Fitch said the effort was designed to show children “that they matter, and that they deserve hope.”
Adams said the operation recovered 87% of the missing foster youth identified during the initiative in less than 48 hours.
“To continue serving the best interests of children, Operation Hope will be replicated in other states, and we will leave no stone unturned when searching for these kids,” Adams said.
Bell, the HHS inspector general, said missing foster children require “a rapid, multi-faceted law enforcement response” and called the Mississippi effort a model for other states.
Sanders, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, said the operation focused on ensuring vulnerable children knew “someone was looking for them.”
“Every child located through this operation represents a young person who matters deeply and deserves safety, support, and hope for the future,” Sanders said.
Officials said children located during the operation were offered support services in addition to being recovered safely.
According to the announcement, the federal government first launched a similar initiative known as Project Hope in Kansas and Missouri, where officials said 42 missing children were located.
