Safety for Children

SafeKids USA has recently set up a program called "Kids Don’t Float" to promote safe boating and water sports for kids. Established in 19 communities around the country, the program provides free lifejackets for children who are going to be out over open water.

The program was started by the Safe Kids Homer, Alaska, coalition.  Kids Don’t Float provides lifejackets for boaters and swimmers on loaner boards near docks and other open water access sites, as well as an educational component for kids ages 8-14 in local schools.

In 2004, over half of the children who drowned in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets. For more information, and to see if your community takes part in the program, check out the program page at usa.safekids.org. 

Authorities in Dothan, Alabama have set up a new system in their area to help Amber Alerts be even more effective. The new program called "A Child Is Missing Alert" may also aid those in the community find missing seniors. The new iniative will not replace the Amber Alert system, but allow law enforcement to get a jump start on finding those who are missing.

Once investigators start a missing child investigation the program will then activate an automated series of calls to area phones through land lines within a 5-mile radius of the reported incident. Residents will receive a pre-recorded alert message, which will include a detailed description of the missing person and a request to call local law enforcement if they see anyone matching the description. Anyone with a cell phone or unlisted phone number can register their number at the program’s Web site. There is no reason to register if residents have a regular landline phone.

The program has an output of 1,000 calls every minute and has aided in the recovery of 340 people.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one of the main links in the Amber Alert chain, is partnering with the Outdoor Advertising Association of America to run Amber Alerts on digital billboards nationwide. A press conference will be held in Times Square on June 3 to display the new system on a Times Square digital billboard.

The test will also be shown on more than 800 digital billboards across the country to ensure the creative template is consistent and compatible with all of the digital boards participating. The test will be shown for approximately five minutes.

Along with highway alert signs that already carry Amber Alert messages, this is just another way to reach citizens to alert them to be on the lookout for any missing children that come through the Amber system.

With almost every household in America having access to the internet, as well as every school, more and more children are being exposed to things online, and at a younger age every day. Microsoft has compiled a age based list of guidelines for their parental controls in Windows Vista, as well as online safety tips for each age group.

If your children use the Internet at home, you already know how important it is to help protect them from inappropriate content and contact. Family Safety from Windows Live OneCare and the parental controls included in Windows Vista can help you create a safer online environment for your children. The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) helped Microsoft develop age-based guidance for Internet use that’s included in both of these products.

Remember to keep an open dialog with your children about being safe on the internet and be a constant reminder that being cautious on the internet is of utmost importance.

Like many other parents, you are probably concerned with your child having access to the internet. As children become more and more web savvy, it is hard to patrol what sites they visit and what exactly they see. Now there is a new web browser for kids from Hekko that you can install yourself (sadly PC only) and restrict your kids to just sites they should be browsing.

The world wide web might be a little too wide for most kids. The Hekko Kid Safe Web Browser allows your child to surf only the sites that you preselect. It’s safe, it’s fun, and best of all it’s free! Just download and install the program onto your computer. Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions and then begin to select the websites that you want your child to visit. Educational sites, game sites, nature, cartoons. It’s unlimited what you can provide for your child.

Keeping your child safe in the online environment just got a bit easier.

A few states have begun their own child safety initiatives to compliment the Amber Alert system to aid in the search of a missing child. New York state recently launched Operation Safe Child through their Division of Criminal Justice Service to allow parents to document their children through the state justice department.

Operation SAFE CHILD was created in July 2005 to raise awareness about child safety. Through an historic partnership with the New York State Police, New York City Police Department, New York State Sheriffs’ Association and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the Division of Criminal Justice Services and its Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse have expanded Operation SAFE CHILD into a multi-pronged campaign teaching parents and guardians three tools to keeping children safe in today’s world. Using equipment that contains the latest digital fingerprinting technology and high resolution photography capabilities, 50 sites around New York State are able to produce a SAFE CHILD card for parents and guardians. The cards contain a child’s name, biographical information (date of birth, gender, height, weight, hair color, eye color, etc.), and a fingerprint image of both index fingers. The card can be made in less than two minutes and can be easily carried in a wallet or pocketbook.

If you live in the area and are interested in obtaining a safe card for your child, there are 50 locations around the state that can produce the cards. Should your child go missing, this is yet another great tool to have to aid in the safe return of your child.

Child exploitation on the internet is a very real problem, so the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has set up a tool to help. According to CyberTIpline.com:

The Congressionally mandated CyberTipline is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. Reports may be made 24-hours per day, 7 days per week online at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.

The site goes on to break down the categories of exploitation they deal with:

Possession, Manufacture, and Distribution of Child Pornography, Online Enticement of Children for Sexual Acts, Prostitution of Children, Sex Tourism Involving Children, Child Sexual Molestation (not in the family), Unsolicited Obscene Material Sent to a Child, and Misleading Domain Name

If you or your child comes across any of this material online, you can contact the Cyber TIpline and they will forward the report to proper law enforcement authorities.

The 90 degree weather is here to stay for a few months, and with that comes a friendly reminder from SafeKids.org to remember to not leave your children in a hot vehicle. Deaths result every year from leaving children in a hot car for even just minutes, either left by a parent or the child locking themselves inside the vehicle.

Heat is much more dangerous to children than it is to adults. When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core body temperature may increase three to five times faster than that of an adult. This could cause permanent injury or even death. According to research conducted by San Francisco State University , even with relatively cool temperatures outside—70 degrees—the inside of a car can reach a dangerous temperature in just minutes.

The article features a YouTube video with NASCAR driver Jeff Burton explaining the importance of not leaving a child in a small car. When it comes to the heat, every single minute counts.

Looking for general information about keeping your child safe in the automobile? KidsSafetyFirst.org has you covered. Not only is the information in English, but is provided in Spanish as well. Crosswords, word searches and missing word puzzles are included for kids to encourage them to learn about automobile safety.

Kids Safety First is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting automotive child safety. Our mission is to partner with interested corporations, departments and agencies to deliver, free of charge, effective and easy to understand child safety seat guidelines, in English and Spanish, to parents and caregivers.

To engage your children in the learning experience, check out the fun and games page. The site also provides materials you can order to keep in your home or car, along with balloons and coloring books for the kids.

June is National Safety Month, bringing awareness to safety issues at home, on the road, and in the workplace. Each week, the National Safety Council highlights safety issues in our lives and keep us prepared for safety problems we might encounter.

Throughout June 2008, National Safety Month activities will address the most significant reasons for unintentional injuries and deaths in the American workplace, on the road and in the home and community. We offer tools and materials that can help you and your organization make a difference in both on and off the job safety.

Each week highlights emergency preparedness, distracted driving, poisoning prevention, and falls prevention. The council has even created < a href="http://www.nsc.org/nsm/posters.aspx">educational posters for each week with safety tips on each week’s theme.