This document serves as a guide for entities on obtaining certification as Child Abduction Response Teams (CARTs).
This publication provides guidance for agencies and CART programs seeking certification. A Child Abduction Response Team (CART) is a multiagency, often multi-jurisdictional, program trained and equipped to respond in the search for and recovery of an endangered missing or abducted child. Like AMBER Alert programs, CART programs serve as a critically important tool agencies can employ in an endangered missing or abducted child incident to promote a rapid and comprehensive community response. The National CART initiative was established in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and is administered through the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP). CART continues to gain the interest of chief executives from law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across the United States, Tribal nations, and internationally. The CART initiative continues to expand and evolve, with jurisdictions completing AATTAP’s CART curriculum eager to integrate and implement the program standards and operational protocols obtained through classroom, tabletop, and self-paced training. In addition to the foundational three-day CART training program, AATTAP assists agencies and teams through on-site and virtual technical assistance, targeted mentor training (TMT), tabletop exercises, review and advisement on team structure and protocols, and application for and achievement of USDOJ CART certification. AATTAP offers this Guide to Program Components and Implementation in recognition and support of CART program interest, initiatives, and efforts across the U.S., in Indian Country and Alaskan Native Villages, and internationally. This publication is built upon the knowledge and expertise of trained law enforcement, emergency response, and child-protection professionals who have contributed to the CART program curriculum and regularly share their experiences through AATTAP’s CART training courses and workshops.