Listed on the Department of the Attorney General's Web site for missing children are 24 faces. Among them is an age-progressed photo of a 29-year-old Marx Moriarty, who was merely 5 months old when he disappeared from his Hau'ula home in June 1977. His is the oldest case on the list.

Brothers Noel and Daniel Santiago are also shown. They were 11 and 7, respectively, when they disappeared five years ago. Now they are labeled "endangered missing children."

They are only three of the 3,000 children who go missing in Hawai'i every year, and while many are successfully reunified with their families, others such as Marx, Noel and Daniel have yet to be found. Sadly, the longer they remain missing, the less people hear about them. This can be extremely detrimental in cases where public awareness and involvement play key roles.

But today marks a resurgence of hope. Thanks to Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's proclamation making today "Missing Children in Hawai'i Day," there is a renewed focus on bringing these children back into public consciousness.

This effort includes posting pictures and profiles of Hawai'i's missing children on a digital cable TV channel, testing the Maile Amber Alert System, which notifies the media and the public about missing children, and distributing free child identification kits.

These all serve as somber, yet crucial, reminders of the public's role in bringing these children safely home.

When it comes to missing youth, out of sight should never have to mean out of mind.