Sprint has upgraded its child-locating service, Sprint Family Locator, making it available to more families and simplifying the registration process.

(Recently Verizon launched a similar service called Mobile Chaperone Service.) Sprint also offers a phone with built-in parental controls and a new Web access management feature to help parents limit their children's access to only the phone services they deem appropriate.The registration process for Sprint Family Locator has been simplified, so that all steps for the parent are completed online. The service is still permission-based, requiring the parent and child to use a unique safety word during registration to ensure permissions have been granted by both parties.The number of locatable child phones has also expanded from 30 to 58 - that's substantially more phones than any other carrier with a similar service.

One of the many locatable child phones includes the Sprint PCS Vision® Phone 2400 by Sanyo®. The built-in parental controls on the SCP-2400 by Sanyo allow parents to restrict incoming and outgoing direct-dial calls and limits access to services such as the Web and Sprint PCS Ready Link® walkie-talkie style service.

Sprint is also introducing a Restricted/Unrestricted Web Access feature that gives a parent the power to manage access to the open Internet for all plans on the account. Web Access is free of charge and is available on all phones and all service plans. Using My Account on the phone or My Personal Information in the manage tab from the online account, the parent can restrict phone access to Sprint PCS Vision and certain Internet sites that Sprint has deemed appropriate for all ages.