News / Education
National Child Safety Expert Endorses Local Organization
Parents can check out Amber Alert Registry in person this weekend at the Wellington Mall
NATIONAL CHILD SAFETY EXPERT ENDORSES LOCAL ORGANIZATION
Parents can check out Amber Alert Registry in Person this weekend at the Wellington Mall
Boca Raton, FL – As a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney who specializes in prosecuting sex crimes against children, Robin Sax is intimately acquainted with what works – and what doesn't – in the cluttered realm of child-safety products. The nationally-renowned author, speaker and legal analyst knows a great child safety idea when she sees one, and she likes what she sees in a local proactive child safety organization, Amber Alert Registry (AAR). In fact, Sax is so impressed with the Amber Alert Registry; she calls it “a Must Have Registry” in her new book “Predators and Child Molesters, What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Kids Safe”.
What exactly has a national child safety expert so excited? It's a simple idea that's been around for a long time that has finally gone high-tech. Amber Alert Registry is a secure online, encrypted, password-protected database that allows parents to create a profile of their child including photos and medical alerts, which is instantly accessible to law enforcement agencies in the event of an emergency. Should a child go missing, local authorities don’t have to wait for the parents – in a panic situation – to gather critical information. Parents control who has access to the information, and because it's online, the information is equally accessible whether the child goes missing from a local park or while on a family vacation.
Founder Stuart Maesel, a father and longtime “Big Brother” who has worked with numerous child safety organizations over the years, was bothered by the number of children reported missing each year (800,000 according to U.S. Justice Department statistics) and the time it takes to get vital information to the police. So he looked to the internet to solve the problem. “Originally the dream of the internet was to get information from one place to another instantaneously,” says Maesel. “What better use of the technology than saving lives?”
Local parents have a chance to check out in person what Robin Sax calls "a must have for all caring and responsible parents," this weekend at the Wellington Mall where AAR representatives will be on hand Saturday and Sunday (10am to 6pm) at a kiosk adjacent to the children's play area. AAR will do all of the work for parents who sign up this weekend, taking pictures and uploading a child's profile information directly to the secure website. The annual fee is $19.95 for the first child and an additional $4.95 for each sibling.
Amber Alert Registry is also poised to offer registration as a fundraiser through schools and other kid-friendly organizations, and is currently scheduling dates for the 2009/10 school year. By hosting an "Amber Alert Registration Day," the school will receive $5.00 for each family that signs up. "It's a simple & powerful way to raise funds while protecting our kids," says Zephora Haddon, VP of AAR & Education Program Director.
