Stop Missing Kids Part II: Protect Your Child from Abduction

This past week, I was watching America’s Most Wanted on TV. I have always loved John Walsh, the host of the show because through his television program he has helped take down over 1,050 dangerous fugitives and bring home more than 50 missing children in the past 22 years. In 1981 John and his wife Eve’s 6 year old son Adam was abducted and murdered. And since that day, John has dedicated his life to fighting on behalf of both children and adult victims of violent crimes.

On yesterday’s show, they were talking about a particular young girl named Michaela Joy Garecht who was abducted back in 1988. They told the story about her mother’s struggle through the pain of losing her only child. But through the horrible situation, she wound up turning it into something good by becoming a speaker and advocate for child safety. Her name is Sharon Nemeth Murch and she wrote a book called “Listen to Your Smart Voice” which is available on Amazon for $9.95.

This 40 page book is a child safety program that empowers children by teaching them to use the very best weapon of all — their own intelligence. In this book, children learn what a Stranger is, and how to react to one. In In life, a child will encounter many situations which will help train their Smart Voice, and gain real-world skills. But the truth is, every new child that goes missing shows us yet another new way predators have found to entrap our children. We need to do what we can to protect them! And in order to do that, it is our responsibility as parents to protect them by teaching them to be aware, and to be smart in all circumstances.

Being a mother of almost 4 little ones, this subject touches my heart tremendously. I decided to look into it a bit more and I came up with a few sites that you might want to check out.

http://www.kindervision.org/- “Created in 1991 as a result of the kidnapping and murder of seven year old Leticia Hernandez in Southern California, KinderVision® is a national child safety education program dedicated to the protection of children from abduction and sexual exploitation. Developed with the assistance of law enforcement and research including an interview with a convicted child killer, the KinderVision educational materials are designed to be an ongoing resource for families, for schools, for law enforcement, and for all youth-serving organizations to teach children and youth how to be safe from sexual predators – because The Greatest Save is the one we never have to make. The program is available in English and Spanish and is funded solely through corporate sponsorships and contributions with the materials provided FREE to families whenever possible on site, on air, and on line.” Be sure to check out their Free Downoadable Lesson Kits for Preschool & Kindergarten Age Children. It is important to teaching our children early about how to keep themselves safe.

http://www.radkids.org/ – radKIDS® is the national leader in children’s safety, with headquarters based in South Dennis, Massachussetts. radKIDS® is brought to children and parents by the training and development of nationally certified instructors drawn from their own communities. By empowering a community with certified local instructors, the radKIDS® Personal Empowerment Safety Education package is not just a program but a true gift to the community. Community-based organizations receive training and support from national headquarters to provide the radKIDS® program as a part of their own youth work. These groups, which have safety goals compatible with those of radKIDS®, include police departments, educational organizations, civic groups, fraternal organizations, citizens’ groups and concerned parents.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/ – My Precious Kid Child Safety Products Manufacturer of Oregon is founded on Christian values of truth, honesty, integrity, human worth, and the value of all children. My Precious Kid is dedicated to family success and family safety. My Precious Kid Child Safety Products and Baby Gear protect your children and give you peace of mind. They have products for your baby, children, adults, pets, the elderly, and children with special needs. I have actually done a review on this awesome company several months ago. Check it out here.

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I just cannot imagine the horrific pain of losing a child to kidnapping, abduction, or murder. My eyes have been truly opened to the need for us as parents to teach our children the importance of staying safe early on. I am so grateful for the many parents who have been through this type of tragedy who have dedicated themselves to helping other parents.

So, if you are a blogger, I would ask you to join me and write a post so we can all join forces and get the word out about the dangers of child abduction. And take the time to check out the many resources that are available to help us in this child safety education process.

Thanks so much, DAWN

Stop Missing Kids Part I: High & Low Tech Ways to Keep Watch

A parent’s deepest fear, given the level of depravity and violence in the world today, is that their child might disappear, not while traveling in a foreign country, but right under their noses in a local mall or on their way home from school. How can you protect your child, or children from predators? How can you keep surveillance 24/7 when you also want to allow them some measure of independence?

In an article written by Joe Burris, of the Baltimore Sun, which appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, June 27, 2009, he describes the many different, up-to-date products available today that help monitor and track the whereabouts of your children. For example, here are a few available options:

1. GPS tracking devices with wander alerts emit beeps or vibrations when a child strays too far.
2. Digital watches and apparel that have high decibel alarms.
3. SafetyTat waterproof tattoo allows a mom to attach her phone number to her child.
4. Wander Wear clip-on tags on which parents can write their phone number.

He also presents the advice offered in the book “The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety and Healthy Living,” (Sentient Publications, $16.95 paperback). This book, written by Debra Holtzman, a Florida-based safety expert and mother, stresses how to best prepare yourself and your child to prevent or recover a missing child. Some of her low-tech child safety tips from her book:

1. Don’t advertise your child’s name to strangers.
2. Make sure your children know their first and last names, complete address and phone number.
3. Children have to know how to contact you at all times, how to dial 911 and make collect calls.
4. Never let a small child out of your sight. Teach children not to run, walk, or hide from their parents. Also, provide children with instructions on what to do if they become separated from you.
5. Don’t let kids listen to their headphones or play video games while they are walking with you.

In addition, he cites some alarming statistics presented by Alyssa Dver, executive director of the Boston-based Center to Prevent Lost Children, on the location and number of kids who go missing each year. Some of those vital statistics include:

1. 90% of families will momentarily lose track of a child in a public place.
2. Tens of thousands of children go missing for some period of time each year.

Six years ago, Ms. Dver launched Wander Wear clip-on tags for kids, upon which the parent’s cellphone number can be written. It is her belief that too many parents rely on monitoring devices more than they should. Another important statistic from the organization’s website is, that 40 children go missing each every second in the United States. That means 2,100 children go missing each day.

Mr. Burris presents a comprehensive overview of the safety options available to parents today, with “devices can add a measure of security, but can’t replace parental supervision.” He cautions that despite all the new low- and high- tech devices on the market today, there is still no substitute for direct eye contact and the use of common sense to keep your child safe.