More than 50,000 Canadian and eye-boggling 460,000 American children go missing every year. Some are runaways, others die at the hands of vile predators, and countless get sold into human trafficking.
Whatever illusion of safety existed before reading those numbers shatters almost immediately. Although it may feel like it at times, the world is not a safe place. Relying on law enforcement alone to maintain order is insufficient. Education and prevention are needed and crucial to raising children that are aware of the dangers that lurk outside.
These statistics highlight the importance of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies, families, and communities to locate missing children and bring them back to safety. It also emphasizes the need for continued education and awareness-raising campaigns to prevent such situations and to protect them from the dangers they may face when they disappear.
Albeit the numerous technologies in place to aid in research and rescue, the fact of the matter is that the first 72 hours are critical for finding a missing child – and not all goes towards deploying officers on the field. Compiling and gathering information about the individual must be done, which can often take longer than most people think since most children do not have a track record on file.
It is true that the majority of missing children are eventually found, but the fact remains that some cases are never solved. In many cases, the children are found safe and reunited with their families, but in other cases, they may be found deceased or may never be found at all.
The sooner law enforcement is notified and able to start their investigation, the greater the chances are of finding the child safe. That is why it is crucial for everyone to stay vigilant and report any information that could help bring missing children home. When every second counts, that period of time becomes increasingly valuable and puts an enormous amount of stress on everyone involved.
For Kelly Ann Granell, an award-winning recipient of the Chief of Police Excellence Award for her work with at-risk youth who has worked in law enforcement for 20 years now, this problem became the center of her focus.
A mother of 6 herself, she knew there could be a solution. With her extensive knowledge and motherly instincts, she poured her efforts into an emergency kit that could help minimize the time it takes to find missing children.
The Be Your Child’s First Responder informational kit is designed to help others and law enforcement to have an accurate description of their child and can trace a missing child through DNA, voice recordings, and fingerprints. When a child is found, the kit makes it easier and faster for children to be reunited with their parents and families. The reason is that they can match up the images, voices, fingerprints, and DNA with the recovered infant, toddler, child, or teen.
For those worried about their data being leaked, rest assured that all information is kept safe with you at all times and never released to digital databases.
Rather than instilling fear in people, Kelly put her resourcefulness to use to provide effective solutions and advocates firmly for preventative measures that can save lives. Anything can happen in a few seconds – Kelly wants to make them count.
Parents can rest easier knowing these are steps taken toward creating a safer world. Their children’s safety, whereabouts, and well-being are her primary concern.
With a portion of the proceeds going to helping families of missing children, this Canadian entrepreneur is set on making a change in any way she can, both in Canada and the United States.
To learn more about how you can save your kid’s life, head over to Be Your Child’s First Responder today.
