Gloria Jean Yerkovich (born 1942) is an Americanvictims' rights activist who foundedChild Find of America to prevent and resolvechild abductions andmissing children cases.[1] Yerkovich is a 1993 inductee into theNational Women's Hall of Fame for her work.
Yerkovich was living inNew Paltz, New York, when her 5-year-old daughter Joanna was abducted by the girl's father, Franklin Pierce, on December 20, 1974. Pierce took the girl to Europe, and Yerkovich spent nearly ten years trying to find her daughter. She and her daughter were reunited in 1984.[2] In 1989 Yerkovich sued Pierce.[3]
Child Find was a prototype for theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the awareness raised by Yerkovich and other activists led to the 1982Omnibus Victims Protection Act and theMissing Children Act. Yerkovich attended the signing of the latter at the invitation of PresidentRonald Reagan.[4]
  | This biographical article about a United States activist is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |