Finding missing children is becoming a hot topic nation wide. Law enforcement officials have employed the Amber Alert system to help in the process of finding missing children. The Amber Alert system was named for Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old Texas girl who was abducted and murdered in 1996. The process of finding missing children has become much more streamlined using the Amber Alert system. The minute a child is reported missing, law-enforcement officials, television and radio broadcasters, and transportation entities, including trucking services, are immediately contacted and air the details of the child's abduction. The goal of the Amber Alert system is to get anyone who could see the child or abductor the information they need to help find the child. The amber alert has led to many successful recoveries of missing children, and is run by the National Center for Missing Children.
The Center for Missing Children gives parents advice to help in finding missing children. If they find that their child is missing, the first thing they should do is check the home carefully. The child may have found a small place to hide. If the child is not in the home, immediately call 911. The law enforcement agency will begin the Amber Alert system if needed. You will need to provide the police with your child's statistics, including name, birthday, weight, height, and anything they might be able to use to identify your child. At this time you need to request that your child's information be entered into the National Crime Information Center Missing Person File, or NCIC. If you have a recent picture of your child, this is one of the best tools used in finding missing children. Be sure to give it to the police.
If you find that your child has gone missing at a store or mall, start by notifying the manager of the location, or the security office if you are at a large mall. After notifying the management, call the police. The store might have their own plan to implement to help when finding missing children. Employees throughout the store will help find your child. This is usually called "Code Adam" and is named after Adam Walsh, a Florida six year old who was kidnapped from a mall and murdered in 1981.
While no parent wants to think about their child going missing, it is imperative that parents know what to do if the unthinkable happens. By being prepared with the proper information, there is a greater likelihood of finding your child should he or she go missing. Of course, the best cure is prevention. Keep you child in your site at all times when out in public, and teach your child the boundaries around your home. Also, be sure to teach your child to never get in the car with a stranger. This will help to keep your child safe, which is every parent's goal!