A Mission to Protect Children

Michelle Collins DeLaune ’91

Where my faith drives me is knowing that every child is entitled to a safe childhood. And it requires all of us to do what we can to make that happen,” shares Michelle Collins DeLaune ’91.

Michelle is President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which serves as the national clearinghouse and resource center for all issues pertaining to missing and exploited children. The organization’s mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization.

Michelle’s passion, sense of purpose, education, and past experiences have uniquely prepared her for this important work. After graduating from Paul VI in 1991, she attended George Mason University, earning a bachelor’s in psychology. She completed a master’s in criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park and during graduate school did an internship in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico. Through a connection there, Michelle took a job at NCMEC.

The first 16 years of Michelle’s career focused on the issue of child sexual exploitation, and included responding to online crimes against children and working with law enforcement, survivors, and tech companies to try to combat the issue. Starting as an analyst on the CyberTip line, she held a variety of positions in the organization, including eight years as Chief Operating Officer, before being named NCMEC’s first female CEO in 2022.

Michelle describes NCMEC, which is based in Alexandria, as “an amazing place to work with incredibly passionate people.”

Before NCMEC was created, there was no central point assisting families in their search for a missing child. “There were several high profile cases in the late seventies, early eighties, and there was a lack of any coordination. There needed to be a centralized resource center that would create coordination and consistency across the country and give families a place to go. Parents got together and lobbied for new laws, one of which led to NCMEC opening its doors.”

Founded by John and Revé Walsh after their 6-year-old son Adam was abducted and murdered, NCMEC commemorated its 40th anniversary in June 2024. “The Walshes channeled their grief into action to try to ensure other families wouldn’t endure the same chaotic experience they did when looking for their child.”

According to Michelle, there are many different touch points the American public has that they may not know are from

NCMEC, such as AMBER Alerts sent to your cell phones and age-progressed photos. Since its founding, NCMEC’s work has changed and evolved, mostly due to technology.

“Technology has certainly proven an effective tool in finding missing children and stopping child sexual exploitation. At the same time, it has thrown accelerant on the problem. The dependency we have on technology and how young children are being exposed to social media has changed the vulnerabilities. It’s changed the way offenders try to target children. It’s changed the way children are being sexually trafficked. Everything’s happening online now.”

Michelle encourages families and educators to stay informed and make use of the resources developed by NCMEC. “Someone may hear the name of our organization and think that if you don’t have a missing or exploited child, then there is nothing we can do for you, but we take all the lessons we learn from our cases and create age-appropriate prevention and safety material about online and real world safety that are available for free on our website.”

To address the last decade’s rise in financial “sextortion” crimes, NCMEC launched Take It Down, an initiative that helps children who fear they may have had sexually explicit photos of themselves posted online. “We have tech companies that take digital fingerprints from us, and if they detect the imagery, they’ll remove it.” In April 2024, NCMEC launched a campaign called No Escape Room, which features an interactive video that takes participants into a simulation of being extorted and provides a number of resources at the end of the experience.

Michelle cites the importance of listening and learning from survivors and family members in her work. “We never want to get away from the people we serve. We work a lot with those populations to ensure that we are not doing what we think works, but what we’re told works.”

One such initiative is Team Hope, a volunteer group with more than a hundred members, all parents or family members of a missing or exploited child. “We’re able to connect families so they don’t feel so alone. While I help find a missing or exploited child, let me put you in touch with somebody who’s been in your shoes so you have somebody to be your lifeline.”

Michelle probably never could had predicted where her life would take her when she herself was a high school student. “I just loved my time at PVI. I really did. The faculty were so invested in the students. The parents were also very invested in the community. I look back with great memories on certain teachers and lifelong friends that I’ve made along the way.”

One place where Michelle felt at home was as a four-year member of the PVI drill team. She later taught dance locally and choreographed professionally for teams across the country. Michelle has stayed close with Pam Pelano, former PVI dance team coach, and says that she often runs into PVI alumni in both her personal and professional life — which Michelle describes as a pleasant surprise. “It’s been a nice way of being part of a community that even years and years later still has pride. I hope my daughter has the same opportunity to feel such a connection and pride in a school. It’s so inspiring to see all the good people the school has educated and put forth into the world.”

Michelle is certainly one of those good people. She has traveled to the Vatican twice for an audience with Pope Francis on child dignity issues, and her Catholic faith plays a role in how she approaches her work.

“I believe that there are more good people in the world than bad. I believe that when people are aware of the threats to children and of the signals and signs to be aware of — that’s where good people can make a difference.”

Michelle is an optimist and urges parents and teens to be informed but not fearful. While her work is difficult, Michelle does see good things happen.

“Knowing what I know, there’s no choice — I have to be part of the solution. When a child comes home or an offender who exploited a child is held accountable, these are the things that we celebrate, the successes. When good things happen for a family, or for a child, that’s what we’re here for.”

Visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

Experience No Escape Room at noescaperoom.org.