Amber Alerts for missing kids come to Facebook

NEW YORK (AP) - Amber Alerts, which have helped find 525 missing children since their start in 1996, are coming to Facebook.

Facebook users in the 50 U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can now sign up to receive Amber Alerts in their region. The bulletins will be sent to their Facebook pages the same way they see updates from friends or businesses they like. It's further sign just how ubiquitous Facebook has become in people's day-to-day communication.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Facebook, the Justice Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Thursday is the 15th anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of Amber Hagerman, the namesake for the program who was 9 years old when she was killed.

Go to

http://www.facebook.com/AMBERalert

to sign up for Amber Alerts on Facebook.