All parents have stories they shudder to recall—a time when a child hid under a rack in a department store, wandered off at the beach, or just took off in an instant. If you can relate (and most parents can), then you know the indescribable panic of losing your child, even for a few seconds.

While a lost child can get hurt or, worse yet, abducted, the good news is missing children are most often found and reunited with their caregivers quickly and unharmed. Even with a safe return, getting lost can leave scary, indelible memories for both child and parent.

According to an October 2002 US Department of Justice report, every year 374,700 children become temporarily separated from their caretakers for at least one hour. That's 1,025 kids each day. Another 2002 report from consumer research company Intimetrix noted that during a 12-month period, over 27 percent of all families visiting amusement parks lost one of their children while they were there—that's one out of every three kids!

Unfortunately, these statistics represent only the incidents that are reported to authorities. When surveyed, parents report seven out of 10 children get lost at least once in their lifetimes, affecting 90 percent of families. If it hasn't happened to your family yet, chances are it will.

So, what can you do if your child does get lost?

Keep Calm

When a parent realizes that his or her child is missing, a typical reaction is to scream out the child's name; yet this won't locate quickly a child that isn't close by and it actually might notify the wrong type of person that your child is lost and vulnerable. To help you keep your cool, remember that odds are your child is simply lost and has not been abducted. Being smart and proactive can help you find your child quickly and unharmed.

Be Prepared

Here are several practical, affordable, and effective ways to keep your children safe when venturing out into busy public places.

Safe ID: You may want to establish a designated place where you and your child will meet if you become separated—yet small children usually cannot remember or find an unfamiliar place, especially when they are scared.

The best thing you can do is prepare your child with an effective way to identify himself or herself. Safe identification provides contact information to reach you while you are mobile. A cell phone is perfect because it doesn't provide information that can lead a stranger to the child's home or school.

Young children who cannot speak (or even older children who get panicked and potentially immobilized if they get lost), should have the identification visible so that another person can access it easily without undoing the child's clothing. You can attach the identification to the back of a young child's clothes. This is quite safe and can't lead a predator to any additional information about the child that could harm him. The cell phone number should be of the adult that the child is with so if the child gets lost, another adult can call the on-site caregiver immediately. Older children can carry the contact information in their pockets if you are confident they will be able to produce the information when needed.

Dress children in bright yellow or green clothing: To spot children easily, dress them in very brightly colored clothing; lemon yellow or lime green are best. This gives parents a "third eye" so that they can quickly spot these unusual colors in a crowd, even at a distance. The clothing can be a T-shirt, hat, or jacket.

Another good idea is to have this clothing designated specifically for your child to wear only when you go out to public places. This makes it easier for you to remember what your child is wearing, especially in a panic—and you'll be better able to provide important identification information to authorities or site employees.

Carry a recent photo and description: Always carry a recent, head-and-shoulders, color photo of each of your children. On the back of each photo, write down the child's eye and hair color, height, weight, and birthmarks or other distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to note if the child has special needs and if he or she is one of identical multiples. Include your cell number, too.

Teach your child to ask another mommy for help: A scared child may not be able to find a trusted authority quickly, but even young children can enlist help from another mother. Have your child practice showing his safe identification to another mom and asking for help. With the safe identification visible and accessible, you make it easier for another person to quickly locate you. (Don't forget to remind your child about what to do if he or she gets lost before you enter a public place.)

Reinforce good behavior: When you go out and return without your child becoming separated from you, praise him for staying with you the entire time. Positive reinforcement is the best way to elicit the behavior you want from your child.

What to Do If Your Child Gets Lost

Many public places such as retail stores, amusement parks, and beaches, follow specific procedures (such as lock downs) when a child is missing. Try to research the lost child procedures of your destination beforehand.

If your child gets lost, quickly find an authority or employee to trigger the venue's lost-child procedures. Don't wander too far while you look for your child—she may be nearby. Most importantly, make sure that the cell phone or pager number noted on your child's safe ID is turned on and receiving a signal.

When to Call the Police

Police departments say that if for any moment you feel that your child is in danger, call 911. They agree that it is better to call the police back a moment later to report that you've found your child than to later regret waiting valuable minutes. Every moment can dramatically affect the outcome of finding your child.

After the Crisis

Once you are reunited with your child, congratulate him for following your emergency instructions and don't yell at him for getting lost. Celebrate that you are together because of his smart and brave actions. This helps ensure that if your little one gets lost again, he will focus on getting back to you rather than remain intentionally lost in fear that you'll yell at him.

Later, when the trauma has subsided, discuss the incident and recall how you both felt. Reiterate that you are proud he was able to act correctly and get back to you quickly and safely. If he did not act correctly, remind him what to do next time and be sure to role play finding other mommies and asking for help.

Children do wander off; it is not a result of bad parenting or bad children. But as good parents, we can be proactive and avoid, or at least minimize, profound trauma and possible physical harm. Whether you are at a local mall or on vacation, every child can use assistance to help find her parents should she get lost. With these easy-to-use tips, you can keep your child safe wherever you go.