December 4, 2009

Amber Alert Works…But The Internet Helps Predators!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — admin @ 12:41 pm

I just read this article about the success or the Amber Alert system. It is wonderful to hear about the lives that are being saved and children being found thanks to this wonderful program. What really surprised me was the statistic that a child goes missing in the USA every 40 seconds. That is simply amazing. I am sure a lot of them are missing temporarily and that mom and dad  just lost track of them somehow, but every 40 seconds? Mind boggling. Of course, the AAGPS child tracking device would go a long way to helping solve this issue.

Another scary thing is the number of predators who are online trying to connect with our kids through Facebook, MySpace, etc. The article mentions a YouTube video that tells predators how to target and identify children online. Is that sick or what? Well, check out the article, for the good and the bad…

http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=37444&catid=1081

To Your Child’s Safety,

Julia Howard

June 17, 2009

Things to Consider When Choosing Child Care

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — admin @ 5:32 pm

We all would love the opportunity to stay home with our children when they are young but for many this is just not something that will happen. Too many families rely on a paycheck coming in from both parents in order to make ends meet so day care is not an option but a necessity. Of course some parents love to work and feel the time at a childcare facility is important for a child’s personal development. Whichever case it may be for your family once you decide the children will be in a day care than you will need to actually choose one.

If you already have a friend or family member with a child spending their days at a care facility and they are happy with who they are with consider yourself lucky that the legwork is already done for you. If you are not so lucky than you will need to prepare to look at lots of child care providers and compare them all for the best option for your child.

A great way to start is to make a list of what you would like in a daycare. For some this means it is on the way to work or near the home. Many want a facility that not only watches the children but works with them on an educational level as well. Some caregivers offer trips and activities while others do not so is this something you want for your child.

Once you have your list start looking at facilities that meet your requirements. Check to make sure they are currently licensed with your state and there are no complaints or violations on file for them. Meet the staff and make sure they are not only qualified but seem to enjoy their job. Check to see that the building is clean and if they take trips the vehicle is safe for children, especially those in car seats.

Of course once you do decide on a day care, continue to check in on them. Staff may change as well as ownership so you should always routinely check things out. Plus take the time to come by at different times to pick up or see your child so that you can see them at various times with your child.

By the way, if any of you already have a child locator device of any brand, would you please give us some feedback? We would like to know how many times a day you request location information from your tracking device. We are doing a cursory survey to see what usage folks are getting from their tracking device…whether it is one of our units or another brand.

Just email julia@amberalertgps.com if you have some input about that.

Thanks,

Julia
www.amberalertgps.com

April 9, 2009

Child Proofing Your Kitchen…And A Very Sad Amber Alert Note

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 11:45 am

My heart is very heavy today. We have all heard about the tragic death of this sweet little girl in Tracy,  California. It just breaks my heart to see this happen, especially if it could have been prevented. Everyone associated with Amber Alert GPS has children, some of us as many as 6, and the thought of losing any one of our kids is almost too much to deal with!

We had a lot of calls after they found this young girl’s body, even from news agencies, because of the profound effect GPS child locator technology could have in preventing incidents like this. Our founder, Russ Thornton, did a TV interview on Good Day Sacramento and our Amber Alert GPS 2G unit was featured on KRON Channel 4 in San Francisco immediately after the grizzly discovery (here is the link if you would like to see the KRON piece: http://www.kron.com/News/GabrielSlatesTechReport/tabid/75/Default.aspx ). We don’t want these calls…they only come when tragedy is imminent or has occurred.  May we protect our children from any more of these senseless killings!

Now, onto something a little more pleasant…and preventative!…

Child Proofing Your Kitchen

A kitchen can be a wonderful place since in many wonderful family memories are created in this special room. From having family dinners together to those after school snacks a kitchen can be a warm and inviting place for the whole family but especially children. But a kitchen can also be a very dangerous place for small children so parents need to take extra special care to make sure they thoroughly child proof this room in their home.
•    Sharp knives and utensils can really hurt young children so care should be taken to ensure that these implements are well out of their reach or in a locked cabinet.
•    Appliances such as toasters and can openers need to be unplugged and outlet covers should cover all the wall outlets to keep electrocution accidents from occurring.
•    Appliance cords as well as hot pans on the stove should be positioned so that young kids cannot reach up and pull them off the counter or stove.
•    Make sure that dishwashing liquid and other cleaning products are well out of reach and locked up.
A kitchen can be a warm and inviting place as long as children learn how to be safe in this area of the home where we all spend a lot of time.

To Your Child’s Safety! And thank you to the thousands of you parents out there who receive our Child Safety Tips Newsletter and subscribe to this blog…it will help you help your children keep safe.

Julia Howard
www.amberalertgps.com

February 17, 2009

Safety Quiz For Moms

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — admin @ 3:28 pm

Are your kids safe?  The answer is most likely yes.  A resounding Yes.  But just to be sure, take a few minutes and answer these child safety questions.  There may be some things below that you haven’t thought of…

Have you ever thought about putting a child locator device on your child?

Have you taught your child to recite his or her name, address and phone number?

Do you have a secret code word? Does your child know to always ask for that code word (while standing a safe distance from the vehicle) before getting into a car with anyone but you?

Does your child understand that he or she should never get in a car with anyone but Mom or Dad?

Does your child know not to get into cars or go into the houses of neighbors he or she doesn’t know very well? (Have you gone over a list of acceptable neighbors?)

Does your child know to never use a public restroom alone?

Does your child know that it is okay to say “no” to adults?

Does your child know to be as loud as possible if he or she is in danger?

Does your child know that it’s okay to use physical violence, such as kicking, if they need to protect themselves from harm?

Does your child know what to do if he or she is separated from you in a public place?  Do they know how to identify a low risk adult?

Does your child know to approach a police officer or uniformed personnel if he or she has a problem?

Does your child know the body parts that are unacceptable for others to touch and which are not?

Does your child know to shout “no” or “stop” if someone touches him or her inappropriately?

Does your child know that you trust his or her instincts, and that even if your child makes a bad choice with an innocent stranger, you will support him or her?

Does your child understand that even trusted people shouldn’t ask him or her to do something that makes him or her uncomfortable?  Do they know if they are uncomfortable in a situation they should tell you immediately?

Hopefully you answered positively to most of these questions.  They are very simple, but they work.

To Your Child’s Safety,

Julia Howard
www.amberalertgps.com

February 9, 2009

Don’t Talk To Strangers!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:07 pm

We have all told our children, “don’t talk to strangers.”  It is good advice but not necessarily the only thing you should teach your child.   According  to  the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) children are more often harmed by someone they know, a relative, family friend, neighbor or other familiar adult—not a stranger.

So what is a mom to do?  We, at amberalertgps.com, would suggest that you teach your children how to watch for situations rather than individuals.  They should be taught from an early age that they

•    should trust their feelings.
•    have the right to say no to what they sense is wrong.
•    should not keep secrets from their parents.

Children can be raised to be polite and friendly, but they should know that it is all right to be suspicious of any adult asking for assistance. Those who might harm our children often seek to make contact in an unassuming way, “help me find my puppy?”  “Do you know where so and so lives?”   etc..  Your child should know that if anyone approaches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable they should tell you immediately.  These simple things will make you feel better and help you raise confident and secure children.

I hope this helps!

Julia Howard
www.amberalertgps.com

February 2, 2009

Some Child Safety Links for Moms…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 4:45 pm

It is hard to know where to go to get good child safety advice and information here are a few sites I have found to be helpful.

www.missingkids.com
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a non-profit organization which attempts to locate missing children as well as educate the public. You can learn how to protect you child, and read some success stories.  You should take sometime to visit the “Resources for Parents & Guardians” section.

www.netsmartz.org
NetSmartz is an Internet safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  This site uses the latest technology to create high-impact educational activities for kids of any age group. Parents, guardians, educators, community leaders, and law enforcement can choose from resources including on- and offline activities, games, internet safety pledges, news articles, and activity cards designed to supplement the NetSmartz online activities.

www.parenting.com
Parenting.com is a great site for parents with children of any age. You can select the age of your child and then find lots of helpful information which is relevant to your child’s stage age.

Kid Safety
The Public Safety Department at the University of Oklahoma has prepared this wonderful site to help parents better protect their children. Topics range from crime prevention to internet safety, and from first-aid to alcohol and drug issues.

www.wirelessamberalerts.org
Receive AMBER Alerts on your cell phone.  Visit this site, select up to five zip codes - perhaps for your home, office and other areas you frequent - and you will receive a text message if an AMBER Alert is issued in or near that zip code.  You could play in important role in the recovery of an abducted child!

To Your Child’s Safety,

Julia Howard
www.amberalertgps.com
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