Frequently Asked Questions

How much does your service cost?

It only costs $5 to register with Child Alert Center, regardless of the number of children in your family. There is a $12 per year records-maintenance fee for each child. At any time you will be able to log in and make any changes to your child’s record, such as updating any physical changes and adding new photographs and deleting old ones.

Why is Child Alert Center so inexpensive?

Millions of children are at risk. We don’t want to just register certain children; we want to make our program affordable for anyone who truly cares about a child. We’ve tried to make our services fairly-priced and affordable so that as many people as possible can register their children.

Are there any special pricing for select groups?

Yes, we do offer special discount to all military services families and to all law enforcement agencies. For pricing details, please contact us at sales@callcac.com.

How long would it take to gather, verify and distribute this same information without a service like Child Alert Center?

Based on discussions with law enforcement agencies, you can expect it to average 7 hours. Keep in mind as a parent if your child goes missing your state of mind will be of panic and remembering some of the easier details as weight, height, distinguishing marks may be difficult. Plus, you need to find an updated photo of your child for distribution that someone will have to scan or load up when they get back to the office. With Child Alert Center, this would be accomplished in just a few minutes.

Why should I put my information on-line?

Time is of the essence when a child goes missing and using the Internet is by far the best way to distribute a missing child’s information. What if you are not at home should your child go missing or if a natural disaster separated you from them?

Should I be worried about sexual predators getting to my child's information?

Absolutely not. Sexual predators lure children through blogs, chat rooms, emails and certain websites, not through secure and encrypted databases. They prey mostly on opportunity and we don't allow them that.

I am concerned about storing my child’s information on the web?

For your peace of mind and for your child’s safety, registration information and your child photos/data are stored in separate secure databases. Contact information, addresses, phone numbers reside in one database while your child’s photo and description are on another. All credit card information is passed through to the credit card processor and not retained on our systems.

Isn’t my information safer stored at home?

Most home PC does not have an updated firewall, virus checker or Spyware detection software, leaving them vulnerable to hackers. Due to our security, the information is more secure online than most home PC or paper based ID kits.

How can I sign up if I don’t have a digital camera?

You can take a picture with an ordinary camera and take it to a most drugstores, discount stores or camera shops and ask the developer to put the pictures on a floppy disk or compact disk (CD). Most of them will do this for a modest fee. The contents of the disk can then be easily downloaded onto your computer and sent to us by email.
If you have a friend that has a digital camera, have them take your child’s pictures for you and help you load them when you register. The process is very easy and does not take long to complete.

How often should I update my child’s information?

Kids grow and change fast. Consider updating your Child Alert Center account at least annually or when any difference in your child’s appearance is notable, such as changes in their hairstyle, hair color, weight gain or lost of a significant amount, or if they have acquired braces, scars, tattoos, or piercing.

If my child is missing and you only have pictures of him in old clothes, won’t that make it harder for searchers to find and rescue him?

Fortunately, our patent-pending DPIE system reduces that problem. With DPIE, Child Alert Center staff can provide law enforcement and rescue teams with photos showing your child dressed similarly to when they were last seen, which will make them much more recognizable.

What is DPIE and how does it work?

DPIE stands for Dynamic Photo Image Editing. This patent-pending process allows us to edit the full-body photo of your child that you submitted when you registered. We can alter the clothes in that photo to look like the clothing your child was wearing when he or she was last seen. We will distribute this updated photo to law enforcement and rescue organizations along with other, close-up photographs of their face. It’s much easier for rescuers to remember a color picture than a description of clothing, so DPIE will make it much easier for rescuers to recognize your child, especially at a distance.
Sample

Can't the parents spread the news about a missing child themselves?

Yes they can but if they are in a state of shock or fear, important facts may get left out and they shouldn’t have to assemble information and photos, locate child-rescue organizations, and convey pictures and descriptions to print and broadcast media, or figure out how to disseminate information nationally through the Internet. We already have the contacts, and we keep parents fully informed about search efforts.

How does the Child Alert Center interact with the Amber Alert system?

The Child Alert Center works with the Amber Alert System in all participating states. By providing the police with the necessary photos and identifying information, as well as data for the mass media, an Amber Alert can be released faster, making the possibility of recovery more likely.

Can the police handle all these responsibilities?

Law-enforcement agencies need to direct their resources to the prevention and detection of crime; they’re not primarily in the business of interacting with the mass media. The Child Alert Center frees them to focus on what they do best.

Why do we use only a photo, instead of videotape, fingerprints and DNA samples?

It is a fact that most children are recovered with the use of a photograph than anything else. A still image is easier for most people to remember than a moving picture. Photographs can be posted in public places and quickly passed around; videotapes cannot. Videotapes are also harder to distribute than photos.

Fingerprints and DNA samples can be found in the child’s home, if they are needed. But they cannot help locate a missing child; they’re only useful to identify a child who has been found, and may be hard to recognize. When every moment counts, photos are best.

What does your Customer Support system consist of?

We have excellent customer support personnel available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Our team is dedicated to providing the necessary support in an emergency. The toll free number is strictly for emergency calls only. If you have questions about your account or about non-emergency matters, you can inform us by email. Our email system is constantly monitored to insure a rapid response.

What about other loved ones? Can I register them?

Yes you can. In today’s world, children aren’t the only ones who might be at risk. For instance, elderly parents could be the victims of crime. Alzheimer’s Disease patients can sometimes wander away from home. Family members with emotional or psychiatric problems can be missing. The rapid response of the Child Alert Center may help bring these missing loved ones home, too.