Some had been missing for years before a three-day sweep across Queens and Long Island found 34 children, ages seven to 18
Over 100 professionals worked together to pull off the rescue.
A 72-hour law enforcement operation resulted in the rescue of 34 missing children across Queens and Long Island, New York, in what officials are calling the “Long Island Children Rescue Operation.” The children ranged in age from seven to 18, and while some had been missing for only a few days, others had been gone for several years.
Officials said most of the recovered children were runaways, while others were victims of exploitation and trafficking. The operation is now working to connect each child with services suited to their circumstances.
More than 100 professionals from over 40 agencies took part in the search. According to the governor’s office, 31 local cases involving missing children remain open.
Finding the children is only the first step
National Child Protection Task Force chief executive officer Kevin Branzetti said these operations look different from what most people picture. The main goal is coordinating multiple agencies to find missing children before anything happens to them.
The teams’ work continues after a child is found. Participating agencies stay involved to connect each child with the resources their specific situation requires.
Branzetti said that with runaways, a key part of recovery is asking why they left, what they experienced, and what help they need moving forward. The operation relies on each participant bringing a specific specialty to that process, which isn’t far removed from situations like this New Yorker’s decision to clean the trash from one block each day.
Officials continue to make progress in missing children’s cases
The Long Island effort is the latest in a series of statewide operations of this kind. Each one targets areas with high numbers of missing children cases, pooling resources to locate the children and connect them with support.
In a statement, New York State Police Superintendent Steven James said police closed 10,672 missing children cases during 2025, covering cases opened that year or earlier. By the end of 2025, a total of 1,079 cases remained open.
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