FBI Child ID App: Fighting to keep kids safe -- through your cell phone

About 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the U.S., according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It’s a number that has parents on guard and always looking for ways to protect their kids. And now, the FBI has an 'app for that'. “It’s the first app that we developed and the only app that we have so far,” says FBI spokesperson Ayn Sandalo Dietrich. “The FBI developed the Child ID app when we recognized that there was a real need to keep parents informed about steps that they could take to protect their children." The app contains questions about your child that law enforcement agencies would need to know if they ever go missing. Dietrich explains, “The Child ID app first of all asks for your photo than it asks for basic stuff, name, nickname, height, weight, and eye color.” They are simple questions that can become difficult to answer in times of distress. “In San Juan Puerto Rico in October of 2012, a little boy went missing. As we were working with the parents in the first hour after his disappearance, we were getting some details about his description, but understandably the parents were panicked and had a lot of emotions going through them at the time. We kept trying to get details and trying to get photos, but the best we had was two years old, so there was a lot of confusion in the public of what child we’re looking for - what age. It wasn’t until an FBI agent pulled out the child ID app, and when we got down to birth marks or scars, that’s when the parent - his memory was jogged - said 'my child does have a tooth with a particular discoloration',” Dietrich said. That information was released to the public and four hours later, that child was found safe and sound. The app also provides safety tips to parents based upon years of research. Dietrich says, “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found in a five year study of attempted abductions that 68% of the abductions were from somebody driving in a vehicle.” Their research also tells parents about the dangers of kids walking to school without an adult present. “It might be a small distance and maybe that child is accustomed to walking it, based on information we’ve gotten on attempted abductions, we’ve found there is particular reasons to look at that particular journey of your child as a potential risk,” Dietrich explained. It’s important information stored inside a free app that can also be password protected. Dietrich also says, “All of the information is just in your own mobile device. The FBI’S not collecting this, we’re not holding onto it anywhere. Again, this is just a prudent resource in case.”