Several Hunterdon County agencies recently became the latest in New Jersey to formalize an agreement with “A Child Is Missing Alert Program,” which has produced dozens of Garden State success stories since 2007.

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Upon confirmation of a missing child from a law enforcement agency, a technician at A Child Is Missing produces a recorded message that is sent out to thousands of people in the area within minutes. The message details the missing person’s description and last known whereabouts, and provides a phone number to call by anyone who may have spotted the child.

The program is also used for the elderly, disabled and college students.

In addition, A Child Is Missing uses a satellite mapping program to look at the local area and identify any bodies of water or wooded areas

Nearly 150 New Jersey agencies have signed on to the program, according to Sherry Friedlander, founder and Executive Director of A Child Is Missing.

“We have 26 successes in the state,” Friedlander said. “We have done over 39,000 cases nationwide, and we’ve done over 63 million alert calls.”

Any agency can use the alert program when necessary, but official letters of participation help the group make its case for additional funding.

“It’s a very simple project, but it is a costly project,” Friedlander added, noting New Jersey U.S. Senator Robert Menendez has been a big supporter of a bill to fund the project nationwide.

Telephone numbers used by the program do not include cell phones, but these numbers can be added. Visit achildismissing.org and click on “Sign Up for Alerts” under the “How 2 Help” tab.

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