This week marked a grim time when the first Amber Alert ever to be issued on Vancouver Island came out of the Comox Valley.
Although the details haven’t been released about a 10-year-old who was allegedly abducted by a 32-year-old local man, it has sparked more than a bit of fear in the hearts of parents around the region who have always known the Valley as a safe reprieve from the violence of big cities.
Ken and I are most definitely among the parents wondering how we can better protect any and all tiny people from predators.
This terrible event has made us look very hard at the resources currently out there to help ensure children are more safe and – in the case of abduction – our children are easily, quickly and safely found.
One remarkable local resource is Street Smart Kidz, run by local dad Steven Baird.
He has compiled an outstanding collection of resources, along with his own wisdom, for parents to tap into and arm themselves against the ugly of the world.
Another outstanding resource in the fight against abuse is Little Warriors, a Canadian web site devoted to prevention, recognition and responsible reaction to predatory child abuse.
Baird’s Street Smart Kidz offers an important resource that I want to encourage parents to take full advantage of – the FREE Street Smart Kidz ID Kit.
This simple kit allows you to collect vital information about your kids (fingerprints, DNA, updated photos), keep it all in one place and have critical details readily available in case of emergency.
Another great tool, created by Nanaimo moms Cathy Aniceto and Michelle Bigg (thanks for reminding me of these, Marieke) is the Vital ID Wrist Bands. These cool wrist bands contain vital contact information and details about allergies or medical conditions.
We are our children’s protectors.
It’s sad that we have to take such steps. But, please do so.
Our thoughts are with the people effected by this frightening event.
Safety First
Learn how to keep your kids safe in all kinds of circumstances.
My biggest fear has always been of the predators that could put themselves into contact with my children via schools, sports, clubs, programs, etc. Is it possible, as a parent and not an employer, to do a criminal records check on the people that will be running the programs we put our kids in?
I know that when I have worked with children/youth for other organizations, part of the job requirement is to have a criminal check done. I am sure you could ask the organizers of any event/club if you are concerned. Most groups are also quite concerned about the safety of the children and it is in their best interests as well to have checks done on their employees. No harm in asking. Not sure how you would go about asking an individual though i.e. babysitter/nanny.
It’s a world full of wonder & beauty, yet there is always the flip side. We as parents, must be proactive in teaching our children that there are risks to be aware of in the most innocent of circumstances. I found a wealth of informaton at streetsmartkidz website. I have taken the time to sit down with my two children and allow a conversation to develop about simple safety issues that before I just took for granted that they knew. We filled out the ID kit together and made it a fun project. I know we all feel more impowered.
Thanks for the link to the Street Smart Kidz site. I’m going to make one of the ID kits for each of my children, a good thing to have and hope that it is never needed!
Nature Mama