FBI Launches New Phone App to Help Find Missing Kids

Are you the type of person who always has the latest apps downloaded to your smart phone?  Or, do you consider yourself someone who doesn't see the excitement in using your cell phone to do anything besides make a call?  Either way, if you are a parent of a small child you might be interested in this new offering from the FBI.

The "Child ID" phone application, which currently is available only for iPhones, allows you to download photos and essential physical information about your child that can be shared with mall security, police officers, the FBI, or any other members of law enforcement who may be able to help you in the moment that you child goes missing.

For anyone who has ever gone just a few seconds without knowing where their child was, you know the sense of panic that can set in.  Simply being asked to give your child's hair color can seem overwhelming when your head is spinning with the possibilities of what has happened to him or her.  If you can remember that all of that information is stored on your phone, a quick push of a few buttons can have critical details out where they need to be.

This application is free and the FBI plans to expand the service to other platforms in the future.  Many applaud this move as a great way to keep our kids safer.  There are some, though, who believe it instills an unnecessary state of fear in parents.  Writer Lenore Skenazy says that in a country in which only 115 children are abducted by strangers every year, this app can make parents think that child snatching is happening every second of the day.

What do you think?  Is this a safety tool you will be purchasing for your phone and family?  

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