Summer is travel time for many families, and vacationing can be among the most enjoyable and rewarding activities that parents can share with their children. In order that a family vacation is all that it can be, InstantAmber has some suggestions to ensure that it is both safe and fun!
1. Before traveling, be sure to update your child’s profile on InstantAmber. It is especially important to have recent photos of your children safely stored in your online family vault. If a child does go missing:
A. Call 911. If you are traveling outside the United States, call the police as well as the embassy or consulate in your host country.
B. Give the officer your Email Address and Law Enforcement Password.
C. Law enforcement can then instantly access the information and photos it needs to find your child.
2. If you are travelling outside the United States, be sure that you have required documentation for any foreign country you plan to visit. Answers to specific questions should be provided by your travel agent. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State's Website is useful and informative.
3. Single custodial parents who are travelling with children outside the United States should ensure that custodial documentation is readily available for authorities. Custody orders should be uploaded to your InstantAmber vault prior to departure.
4. Before you leave, remind your children about your family safety procedures for dealing with strangers. Also, instruct them what they should do if they get separated from you, i.e. seek out a police officer or a clerk in a nearby store.
5. Review your home address, telephone number and provide your children with the name, address and telephone number of a relative or friend to contact in an emergency.
6. Provide a relative or friend with your complete travel itinerary, including the name and telephone number of any hotels or resorts where you will be staying. If you are travelling outside the United States, leave a photocopy of any passports with a friend or relative so that they that can fax it to you in case of loss.
7. Always carry a copy of medical records for everyone in the family who has serious health issues.
8. Always keep a watchful eye on your children, and consider using a harness for toddlers, especially in busy places like airports and attractions. Instruct your children to tell you where they are going, without exception.
9. Do not dress your child in monogrammed clothing or clothing which has his/her name showing. Dressing children in bright colors makes them readily visible; you may also want to dress all children in the same color or pattern to make them easier to identify in a crowd.
10. Take a daily photo of your children so that you always know exactly what they are wearing at any given time.
11. Have a daily meeting to lay down the ground rules for each day’s activities. Be sure to agree on a meeting place in case someone gets separated from the group; additionally, you may want to assign an older child with a “buddy”, i.e. a younger child whom the older child is responsible for looking after.
12. Instruct your children to keep hotel doors locked at all times; tell them that they should never let anyone into their room whom they don’t know.
By following these simple tips, you will greatly reduce the chances of a missing child emergency, so be sure to share these tips to protect what is most important…your children. At InstantAmber, we hope everyone has both a super and safe Summer, and being prepared will ensure a good time for all!
