The Milk Carton Campaign Helped Find Missing Children

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200 missing children were featured on milk cartons as part of the campaign led by the National Child Safety Council. Some sources have estimated that as many as 5 billion milk cartons were printed with the faces of missing children. The Missing Children Assistance Act was passed during this time and established a federal program to find missing kids.

On a Sunday morning in 1982, in Des Moines, Iowa, Johnny Gosch left his house to begin his usual paper route. A short time later, his parents were awakened by a phone call – it was a neighbor — their paper hadn't come. His would be the first face of a missing child ever printed on a milk carton. This story comes to us from reporter Annie Brown and our friends at 99% Invisible. We're on the road reporting new stories this week, and will be back on June 2nd with a brand new Criminal episode.

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