JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Across Florida, hundreds of families are searching for their missing children. More than 200 cases are listed on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website.
On Monday, the 2025 Florida Missing Children’s Day Ceremony will bring those stories to the forefront — offering hope to families who continue to hold on.
Some of these cases have gone unsolved for more than 20 years. The oldest dates back to 2000 and includes a local missing child, HaLeigh Cummings.
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On Monday, she and other missing children in Florida will be remembered.
Florida has seven active Amber Alerts, including Cummings’ case out of Putnam County. These are cases where law enforcement believes the child was abducted.
Florida Missing Children’s Day was created by the state Legislature in 1999. It is observed on the second Monday in September.
Throughout the year, safety fairs give families a chance to connect with law enforcement and learn more about keeping kids safe. In 2022, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported nearly 28,000 missing children cases, most of which were resolved quickly.
Cummings was just 5 years old when she disappeared from her home in Putnam County back in 2009. She has a round birthmark on her lower back and another near her left ear.
Two other cases are still open—Mark Degner and Bryan Hayes. They were last seen leaving Paxon Middle School in Jacksonville back in 2005. These age progression photos show what they might look like today. Both would be 33 years old.
To report a missing child, start by contacting local police or the sheriff’s office, then call FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 1-888-FL-MISSING.
The 2025 Florida Missing Children’s Day Ceremony kicks off at 10 a.m. in Tallahassee, where families will have a chance to connect with law enforcement and learn more about keeping children safe.