Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have teamed up with Facebook to help widen the search for missing children. (CBC)

Newfoundland and Labrador has become the latest province to use Facebook's Amber Alert page to help locate missing children.

Canada is the first country to harness the social networking site's Amber Alert efforts.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and RCMP announced in St. John's on Monday that both police forces have agreed to make use of the Facebook page, which has the potential to reach 400 million users.

Amber Alert is an international system that uses radio, television and electronic road signs to help the public provide information that may help find missing children.

Ontario, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick adopted the Facebook alerts earlier this year.

Bill Smith, RCMP assistant commissioner, said Facebook will hopefully help beef up police resources in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"It is an instant two-way communication with people across the province and across the country, but we will still continue to use traditional media as well," Smith said.

The first hours after a chid goes missing are 'crucial,' said child safety advocate Allan McCullough. (CBC)

Dr. Parry Aftab, who practises internet law, said the Facebook-police partnership offers the public more peace of mind.

"Knowing that it's [the Facebook page] there if your child is lost or any child is lost in this province allows everyone to sleep a little bit better at night."

Child safety advocate Allan McCullough said that when a child goes missing, time is of the essence.

"Seventy-four per cent of the time that a child is abducted and later found murdered, they are murdered within the first four hours," he said. "Over 90 per cent of the time, they are murdered within the first 24 hours.

"Those first hours are crucial in the safe recovery of that child, and that's the power really of the Amber Alert and mobilizing all of the citizens around helping the police find and safely recover that child."