When a child or elderly person goes missing, what do you do?

First you call 911. Then, when it is established that a child is missing, the police or sheriff’s office will contact the “A Child Is Missing Alert Program,” based in Ft. Lauderdale.

In the first critical hours, A Child Is Missing alerts the neighborhood with a specialized message asking for information on the missing child or elderly person (often someone dealing with Alzheimer’s). They also send an alert when students, the disabled and people with special needs go missing. The program’s 1,000 alert calls in 60 seconds have already helped save lives.

A Child Is Missing has assisted in more than 575 safe recoveries nationwide.

The program is free to your community and law enforcement agencies nationwide.

A Child Is Missing trainers travel the United States to give law enforcement officers free training on how to implement the alert system. No additional equipment or costly overhead is needed.  In today’s economy, Americans realize the benefits of a grassroots program where people help people.

A Child Is Missing Alert has developed a high-tech method to expand its calling database because of residents relying more heavily on wireless cellular phones. To increase neighborhood response, A Child Is Missing feels it’s imperative to reach out to the wireless users in the United States to increase a local level of community involvement, gather more information and report possible sightings to help locate a missing child or elderly person.

The program has been extremely effective in utilizing satellite mapping and a telephone database of citizens’ home phone and businesses numbers in a target area where the missing person was last seen.

Your participation can help save a child’s life.  Register your cell phone number today at AChildIsMissing.org to become part of the solution.

What about Silver and Amber Alerts?
The Silver and Amber Alerts are great programs, but not all cases meet the Silver or Amber Alert criteria. When the case doesn’t meet the criteria A Child Is Missing Alert program is used.  The alert program can also be used in tandem with Silver and Amber Alerts.

Currently, the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act (S 1301) is in the Senate and would provide for regional centers for the national non-profit. Sponsors for the bill in the Senate are Sen.

Robert Menendez (NJ) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT). On July 21, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the bill (H.R. 1933) by 96 percent sponsored by Rep. Ron Klein (FL) and Rep. Tom Gohmert (TX). Passage of this bill in the Senate would dramatically increase the awareness efforts of A Child is Missing so more law enforcement agencies throughout the Unites States would become aware of the program.

If you would like to support the bill, please request a sample letter of support for your state by e-mailing [email protected].