Dianna Cann is the Executive Director of Child Find Nova Scotia and has been working closely with both the police and family of Karissa’s in their attempt to find the child.
Soon after her disappearance, Child Find was visiting with the family, creating posters with Karissa’s photo and beginning to distribute them immediately.
Her photo and information was displayed on the websites of the Bridgewater Police and Child Find Nova Scotia’s and requests were made to the public to step up and help them print out and distribute missing posters of Karissa.
“This is phase one,” said Cann. “Depending on how the case goes we will continue to pursue the poster distribute and talking to people across the country through Child Find.”
Cann said that there have been requests from Newfoundland to BC for posters.
“We know at Child Find that it is the picture of the child that helps us,” said Cann. “Many, many cases are resolved by the picture being distributed.”
Child Find has been working close with the family as well through their difficult time.
“What we do with the family is we say, anything you need you tell us and we will find a way to get it for you,” she said.
Many times, it is to help them get somewhere silently so they are not hounded by media or bring in food or supplies so that they do not need to leave if they do not want to.
“Part of our work is to help take care of the family,” Cann explained. “This is such a horrid time for them and they need all the support they can get.”
An Amber Alert was not called in the case of Karissa because, according to Cann, there has to be evidence of an abduction.
The Amber Alert is designed for the community to look for the child and the abductor.
“But there’s no abductor information,” said Cann, “not a person or a car or anything like that…there is no connection yet.”
She does not rule out that Karissa may have met with foul play but since there is no evidence to lean in that direction, she will remain a missing child’s case rather than an abduction.
“We really hesitate to go there but then again they’ve dragged the river and that is another horrible place to have to go,” she said.
“People don’t want to think there are people like that in their community. If they can be in a little town like Bridgewater they can be living next door or anywhere…it’s really hard for people to come to terms with that but the truth is they are everywhere.”
Mann has suggestions for the many people who desire to help in the search for Karissa.
First, she said if they have any information or want to know how the case is progressing call or email Child Find Nova Scotia instead of overwhelming the police.
If there are people who want to distribute posters they should visit the Child Find website and then find someone in their local community who will do the printing for them, put together a team and put them up in visible locations.
Last, donations would be greatly appreciated to help the organization cover their numerous costs while finding Karissa.
“People have been absolutely wonderful,” said Cann, “we’ve had people calling from all over the country and offering their support.”
For more information go to
www.childfind.ns.ca
by Amy Woolvett 
