A Guide to the Growing Market for Child Tracking Devices

Child abduction is every parent's worst fear. We hear about it constantly - on the radio, in the newspaper and on the television. We see the parents whose children have been taken, tearfully begging for their child's safe return. We see the children who disappeared ten years ago on milk cartons, with the "age progression" photos, and can only imagine the desperate, dying hopes of their mothers. And I, like most parents, know the immediate, paralyzing terror of looking around to find that your child is suddenly not in sight.

If you had a way of ensuring that you could find your child if he were ever taken, no matter where they were, would you use it? New advances in technology have yielded surprising new ways to keep track of your kids, from simple to complicated - and beyond.

We first started searching for a child locator device when we were going to Disney World. We knew that between the busy crowds and our active son, we were likely to lose sight of him at some point. We chose one of the simpler devices available: the Mommy, I'm Here! Teddy Bear Child Locator. The small device, in the shape of a teddy bear, attaches securely to the child's shoe, while the parent keeps the small keychain transmitter. Available for purchase at Brickhouse Security for $29.95, this device is easy to use: when you discover your child is out of sight, simply press the transmitter button. Your child's locator will emit a 56 DB warning noise. We found that this works wonderfully in two ways: (1) it allows you to locate your child based on the sound, which continues until you turn it off; and (2) if your child has hidden or has left their boundaries, it reminds them to come back and that you are looking for them (especially since everyone is staring at them). We used this several times while on vacation, and it averted many potential disasters.

But what if your child has gone beyond hearing, or is unable to come back because they are lost or have been abducted? Fortunately, there are several more comprehensive options for parents who are willing to invest in them. The IonKids Child Locator, also available at Brickhouse Security, sells for $194.95. Using a base transmitter carried by the care provider, the IonKids system can monitor up to four children and alert you if they leave a pre-determined "safety zone". You can then locate them, and the system has a range of 300-500 feet, depending on environmental factors. Also, the bracelets the children wear are tamper-resistant. On the down side, you can't use it to find a child who has wandered farther than 500 feet, and the bracelets are only water-resistant - meaning submersion in water (such as swimming) could potentially ruin them.

But these methods of tracking your child can go even further. According to CSMonitor.com, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) can be used to track your child anywhere via a chip placed in their cell phone, watch, car - or even implanted in the children themselves. Multiplex Electronics, for instance, sells the i425 E/T Tracking Packagef or $99.00 which is specifically designed for tracking. And implanting tracking microchips in children is not a futuristic fantasy. According to an article in the Times Online, the first child was microchipped in 2002 after a rash of child murders. As a less drastic alternative, a company by the name of Connect Software recently created Toddler Tag, a system in which a tag can be sewn into an item of clothing to allow parents to track their whereabouts.

With all of the options available, there are many ways for concerned parents to protect their kids in this increasingly dangerous world. While it is sad that we have to consider protecting our children this way, it is encouraging that companies are rising to the challenge and providing innovative solutions to this very important problem.