ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and Honeywell (NYSE:HON) announced today that KidSmartz™, the abduction prevention program, will now be available in English and Spanish. The new Spanish resources are being released just in time for children heading back to school, which NCMEC cites as a critical time in child safety.
A ten-year analysis by NCMEC of attempted abductions and related incidents found that most occurred when children were on their way to or from school. The KidSmartz program focuses on keeping the lines of communication open between parents and children, helping children identify trusted adults and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
“We want to stop crimes against children before they happen and education is the key,” said NCMEC President and CEO, John Clark. “In the past five years, 15 percent of the missing children reported to NCMEC were Hispanic with many of them speaking only Spanish at home. With these translated resources, we can help protect more children.”
The KidSmartz program, developed by NCMEC in partnership with Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s corporate citizenship initiative, uses videos, music and classroom activities to teach personal safety to children in grades K-5. It was the recipient of the 2016 Teacher’s Choice Award from “Learning Magazine.”
The program, focuses on four basic safety rules:
- Check First
- Take a Friend
- Tell People “NO”
- Tell a Trusted Adult
“Safety is one of the most critical areas of focus for Honeywell’s corporate citizenship initiatives, and reaching as many families and schools through this program is essential in preventing abduction,” said Mike Bennett, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. “Offering KidSmartz’s resources in Spanish fits our strategy to reach an even greater number of communities where conversations about kids’ safety can take place.”
The KidSmartz materials are available in English and Spanish for free download at www.KidSmartz.org. For more information, visit KidSmartz on Facebook and Twitter.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Since 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® has served as the leading private, nonprofit organization helping to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation and prevent future victimization. As part of its work as the clearinghouse and resource center on issues relating to missing and exploited children, NCMEC operates a hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678), and has assisted in the recovery of more than 237,000 missing children. NCMEC also operates the CyberTipline®, a mechanism for reporting suspected child sexual exploitation, which has received more than 16.5 million reports since it was created in 1998. To learn more about NCMEC, visit www.missingkids.org or see NCMEC on Twitter and Facebook.
About Honeywell Hometown Solutions
KidSmartz™, the “next generation” of Got2BSafe!, is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Science & Math Education, Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For more information, please visit http://citizenship.honeywell.com/.
About Honeywell
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.
SOURCE The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
