Today no family should have to go through this agony, due to numerous protective devices on the market; one of them is Child Guard, a remote monitoring system. Child Guard looks like a toy; it attaches to the child and provides the adult with a warning signal if the youngster strays beyond a pre-set boundary, up to 30 feet. This and many other options have been created to address an epidemic: According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in a report posted on its internet site, more than 2,000 children per day are reported missing.

Fortunately, a bright spotlight was shone on this epidemic a few years back after the abductions of Samantha Runnion, Polly Klass and Adam Walsh. Since then, the media has been much more sensitive to the subject and has covered these kinds of crimes to a much greater degree. But what the media doesn’t cover are the many “good news” stories involving responsible adults who utilize one or more of the safety devices available to them. An article you won’t read may have reported: “hundreds of tots nationwide returned safely to their homes last night after wandering away from their parents in a crowded mall, but who were sighted immediately when the children’s Child Guard sounded.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is focusing on this subject 24/7. It is the leader in the fight against missing children. Working closely with the Federal Government, the NCMEC provides a 24-hour hotline for both reporting missing children and to pass along spottings of one they may have seen. It is 1-800-THE-LOST. The NCMEC recommends that you provide your children at the earliest possible age with information for them to try and memorize-–their name, where they live, their phone number, etc. Make a game out of vital information as soon as children can respond to such data and quiz them daily on it.

Some of the most obvious recommendations relate to constant vigilance. It is so tempting to let go of a child’s hand for a split second to check out a garment or to reach an item on a shelf. The sad litany of recorded kidnappings at malls and grocery stores, etc., confirms the fact that split seconds often are all that is needed for a tragedy to begin to unfold. If that child is wearing some kind of safety device, however, such as a Child Guard, and a warning sounded, no doubt the potential kidnapper would abandon the child and head for the exits. Don’t wait for the worst to happen. Investigate some of the preventive devices out there.

Take a look at Child Guard at http://www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/childguard.htm.

Have a nice day
Robor