How To Keep Kids Safe in Public Places

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Joins with Josie Bissett to Demonstrate Benefits of New Technology That Can Protect a Child’s Safety

(ARA) - Almost all families are often in crowded public places -- sometimes making it difficult for parents to keep a close eye on their children. In an effort to ensure children’s safety, Josie Bissett, former “Melrose Place” star, wants to remind parents of the simple things they can do to protect their children.

“Like many parents across the country, I was disturbed by the number of missing children cases featured in the news this year. Hoping to help other families, I am partnering with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Philips Electronics to recommend that parents take a few extra minutes to capture their child talking, giving vital information about themselves and their unique mannerisms on video.”

NCMEC is utilizing Philips DVD recording as a tool to support their mission to help families of missing and exploited children. “If a child is abducted or becomes missing for any reason, the National Center, along with law enforcement, can utilize the DVD with the child's image and other descriptive information to help get the search started immediately,” says Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC.

Families also can benefit from quickly and easily transferring important information about their children from a camcorder to a DVD disc. The holiday season offers parents a good reminder to record a yearly update for each of their children that features their distinct mannerisms, physical features, and speech patterns. If needed, the DVD recorder will provide law enforcement and the NCMEC with a useful resource with information about the child.

Philips also recently donated several DVD recorders to NCMEC, allowing them to transfer an extensive library of VHS video and still photos to a durable and easily archived source. The ability to convert the information and data to DVD will save much-needed storage space for the growing organization and streamline its missing child age-progression services. Below are some tips for parents to keep in mind while shopping or traveling.

* Keep an eye on your child at all times. Always know where they are and whom they are with.

* Teach your kids how to stay safe and find help if needed. Make sure they know to stay with you at all times while shopping and to always check first with you or the person in charge before going anywhere.

* Make a plan. For older kids have them meet you in a predetermined spot such as a sales counter or the mall information booth. For younger kids teach them to use the public telephone and to look for people who can help like a uniformed security guard or a sales person with a nametag. Teach them to stay in the public view and to never go to the parking lot looking for you.

* Before going to the airport or train station, sit down and talk with your kids about where you are going, how to look for help in the event you get separated and who “helping adults” are -- for example flight attendants.

* Give your children a card that has your contact (cell phone) information, destination and departure gate. This will help security page you or locate you more quickly.

For a list of tips from the NCMEC for keeping kids safe, please visit www.missingkids.com. For information on Philips’ DVD recorder, visit www.dvdrecorder.philips.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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