08/11/2026
Do you remember or have you heard of the milk carton campaign featuring missing kids?
Here is a sample carton saved in the archives of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The campaign began in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, after local paperboy Eugene Martin disappeared. Following earlier high-profile cases like Etan Patz and Johnny Gosch, local dairies and the National Child Safety Council expanded the practice nationwide.
That original half-gallon milk carton seemed to inspire a movement. A few weeks later, more dairy companies across Iowa began to participate. The program started to spread, hitting cities like Chicago and reaching as far as California. According to the National Child Safety Council, by December 1984, their nonprofit took interest and expanded the program by initiating the first nationally coordinated "Missing Children Milk Carton Program." Within weeks, the National Child Safety Council had partnered with more than 700 dairy manufacturers across the country, responsible for circulating cartons nearly everywhere.
Read more - ➡️ https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2024/milk-carton-kids
