Protecting Our Children - Child Identification Programs By Robert Melillo Platinum Quality Author

Have you heard these frightening statistics?
· Every day the FBI receives reports of 2000 missing children.
· The chance of a child becoming missing is 1 in 42.
· Every 40 seconds a child goes missing.
This is why the importance of a Child Identifications Program cannot be stressed enough. Being able to move quickly and provide accurate information is the saving grace when a child is reported missing. This information can be expelled electronically within seconds to law enforcement agencies who will act immediately in getting the word out.
Many schools and daycares provide this type of program when school pictures are taken to enable the process. A current photo, fingerprints, and physical description is the basis for child identification cards. Providing a program for child identification is easy to set up and maintain. A simple computer program allows the user to electronically fingerprint and enter the pertinent information about the child, including emergency contact information, address, and any medical conditions in addition to the physical descriptions.
The child id program provides the parent with two wallet sized ID cards, a file sized ID, and a CD ROM containing all the same information in a digital format. The program is operated through a private business that is responsible for obtaining a child's information, typically coordinated through a school. Many times parent-teacher organizations or local businesses will sponsor the child identification program in order to cover the costs involved and ensure that each child has an ID.
When local schools are unable to provide the child identification program, the parent can also order one individually. The programs are simple to use and do not require technical computer skills. Most law enforcement agencies recommend the annual update of a child ID, and prefer that all 10 fingers are printed, as opposed to simply one finger.
A child identification program is an important tool in protecting children today. The threats against young people are on the rise, and with the aforementioned statistics, it should sway any parent to provide this invaluable information. While many will never experience the anguish of a missing child, having an ID card will provide a faster way to communicate, especially when such a stressful situation is also bound to create confusion.

How to Save on Your Energy Bill By Lisa Marie Brown Platinum Quality Author

With energy costs expected to skyrocket this winter, many homeowners are wondering how to save money on their electric bill this year. In the end, you've got to be a little more innovative when it comes to real savings. Here are a few tips to help you save on your energy bill this year:

1. Lower your thermostat. Every degree above 70 increases your cost by 7 percent to 10 percent.
2. Check your filters. Dirty filters may increase your costs by up to 20 percent and could also damage the heating and cooling system.
3. Vent air from your radiator. Venting the air from your radiator makes them more efficient. The key on the end of the radiator costs less than $1.
4. Install a programmable thermostat. Program it to be lower while everyone is at work
5. Clean the coils that cool your refrigerator. This will help your refrigerator cool more efficiently.
6. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater. The hot water heater should be between 115 and 120 degrees.
7. Replace the shower head with a low-flow shower head. This will cut down on your natural gas bills, because your water heater will not have to work as hard.
8. Wash in cold water. The cost comparison here is a no brainer: it costs about 38 cents to wash a load of clothes in hot water. It costs about 1.5 cents to wash it in cold.
9. Use your dishwasher. Dishwashers use approximately 15 gallons of hot water. Washing by hand could use as much as 20 gallons.
10. Fill your motorized appliances to capacity. Air conditioning units, freezers, washers and dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers operate most efficiently when they're operating at full capacity. When they're not working at full capacity they pull more energy than they use.

Even using just a few of these tips should save you dollars and cents off of your next energy bill. Using good common sense, like investing in compact fluorescent light bulbs and turning off the lights when you leave the room, should further reduce your bill and add to your savings.

Lisa Brown is a Sales and Marketing Associate for Almost Home USA, a corporate housing company whose goal is to provide such excellent experiences that clients feel almost home.