The Kansas attorney general’s office is expanding its alert system for missing children to include social media.

When an Amber Alert is issued it is typically broadcast by traditional media.

Now, Kansans can sign up to receive Amber Alerts on their mobile phones or Facebook accounts through the attorney general’s website at www.ksag.org .

Attorney General Derek Schmidt says in a news release that finding a child quickly can mean the difference between life and death.

Friday is the anniversary of the national alert program, which began in 1996 after the abduction of 9-year-old Amber Hageman in Texas.

Since its inception, Amber Alerts have helped bring 540 children home across the nation. In Kansas, 21 children have been safely returned since 2002.