1. Know where your children are at all times.

2. Never leave children alone in cars. NOT even for a single minute.

3. Establish strict procedures for picking up children at school, after movies, at friend’s homes, etc. don’t let your children accept rides from people with whom you haven’t made prior arrangements, even if they say they are police officers, teachers, or friends of the family.

4. Teach your children their full names, address, and telephone number. (even the area code) Teach them how to reach either you or a trusted adult and how to call for police assistance. Make sure they know how to make local and long distance telephone calls. Even small children can learn to dial 9-1-1 for an operator to get help.

5. Tell your children about the abduction problem in a calm and simple way, as if you were teaching any other important coping skill.

6. Listen attentively when your children discuss anyone they’ve encountered in your absence.

7. Establish a family code word. Tell your children never to go with anyone who does not know the code word.

8. Have photographs taken of your children four times a year (especially for pre-schoolers). Make note of birthmarks or other distinguishing features. This won’t protect your child, but will help to make it easier to identify them when they are found.

9. Have fingerprints taken of your children. There are programs out there for this. If you see one advertised by an agency that is going to be in a local mall or a if your local police department is offering to do it at a community event take advantage of it and have it done. Like the previous tip, this won’t protect your child, but will help to make it easier to identify them when found.

10. Be sure to follow these tips. They are for the safety and protection of your children.

“TEACH YOUR CHILDREN”

1. To play only in the areas you have told them they can play in.

2. Not to wander off, to avoid lonely places, and not to take shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas.

3. They are safer walking or playing with friends.

4. Always to come straight home from school unless you’ve made other arrangements.

5. Never to enter anyone’s home without your prior approval.

6. To scream, run away, throw their toys or books or whatever they have with them on the ground and scatter them if possible, and to tell you or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch them or grab them.

7. Not to give any information over the telephone, particularly their name and address, or that they are alone at the time.

8. Never to go anywhere with anyone who does not know the family code word. Even if they say they are a friend of either one of their parents.

9. To keep all doors locked and to admit only authorized people into your home when a parent is not there.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

The following telephone numbers should be posted by the telephone and each child in the home should know what each number is for: