A makeshift memorial now stands at 20th and Pinkney in Omaha. Twelve-year-old Amber Harris got off a school bus at that location six months ago and vanished.

The child's remains were found in Hummel Park less than two weeks ago.

Amber's parents, Michael and Melissa Harris, visited the 20th and Pinkney location on Monday. Flowers and poster-boards offer condolences.

Melissa says she plans to dedicate the rest of her life to helping other parents avoid the kind of emotions she's now feeling.

"It's the only reason I can think of why Amber died," she said. "This is what we need to do."

The push for this awareness is nationwide but first the focus is in Omaha.

Melissa Harris says, "We just want things changed. Take a parent seriously. Don't dig so far. They were so worried about polygraphs."

Michael Harris says, "It took three weeks to get a roadblock, five days to set up a command center here and five months to get bloodhounds."

On Friday, Police Chief Thomas Warren, responding to reporters' questions, said the department followed protocol and any claims that the department neglected to provide the necessary resources to the Amber Harris case are false.

Omaha City Councilman Frank Brown wants answers about how the Harris case was handled. He has written a letter to the mayor's office requesting a review of police procedure in missing persons cases.

Brown says, "I think the news media should have been called first and foremost -- possibly an Amber Alert. Calling the news media to alert that someone is missing, maybe those eyes and ears that may have seen that broadcast would have said, well, I saw something suspicious, instead of waiting 24 hours later."

Meanwhile, the day began with a moment of silence Monday at Beveridge Magnet School. That's the school Amber Harris had attended and Monday was the first day of class since the confirmation of Amber's death.

The American flag flew at half-staff above a garden planted in Amber's honor. Students spent the day meeting with counselors and teachers -- all dealing with a great sense of loss.

Principal Cara Riggs says kids came in, "a couple at a time, mostly wanting to talk about how unfair this was -- how it's not what they expected at all. There was still a lot of hope."

Amber was a member of the school's choir that will be singing at Thursday's memorial service.