 
Information Memorandums (IMs) - 2003
New Resource Available: Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents (ACYF-IM-HS-03-02)
| ACYF Administration on Children, Youth, and Families |
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families |
|
| 1. Log No. ACYF-IM-HS-03-02 | 2. Issuance Date: 04/04/2003 | |
| 3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau | ||
| 4. Key Word: Child Safety, Parent Education | ||
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM: [See Attachments at the bottom]
TO: Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies
SUBJECT: New Resource Available: Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents
BACKGROUND:
At the October, 2002 White House Conference on the subject of child protection and safety, President George W. Bush announced the availability of a new resource to help parents take specific steps to improve the safety of their children. This guidebook, Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents, is designed to help prevent the abduction and exploitation of children. It reflects the work of child safety experts from the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Recognizing the importance of community-wide efforts to promote child safety, President Bush declared:
Over the past two decades, the Department of Justice, along with many important community and faith-based partners, have made great progress in raising public awareness, improving public safety, locating and recovering missing children, and protecting children from exploitation on the Internet... I urge all Americans to take an active role in upholding the safety of our communities and in defending the well-being of our children.By renewing our commitment to protect our children from harm, we can save lives and prevent untold suffering and grief among the most vulnerable of our society. (President Bush's remarks on the 20th anniversary of Missing Children's Day, May 25, 2002.)
INFORMATION:
The attached resource - Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents - should be a useful addition to your program's parent education and family partnership activities. Many topics in this guide are relevant for parents of young children, while others are more applicable to protecting school-age children. While a child's comprehension of safety skills will depend on age and developmental levels, it is never too early to discuss with parents their role in teaching their children about personal safety. And, as with any parent education and family partnership activity, it will be useful to discuss with parents how information in this resource can be applied to help them protect their children, including their older children and teens.
I would also encourage you to discuss this topic with your local public safety partners, so that your approach to this important subject is best coordinated with child safety plans in your community.
Enclosed are English and Spanish copies of Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents, which you may photocopy for distribution to families and for use in your family resource library. The attached order form may be used to obtain additional copies of this guidebook.
You will find electronic versions (in English and Spanish) of this document available online at the Office of Justice Programs website:
- in English: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/psfceng.pdf
- in Spanish: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/psfcspan.pdf
To help ensure that these booklets reach your parents in the most expeditious manner, I have asked the Head Start Information and Publication Center to send 50 copies of the booklet directly to the Chairperson of your Policy Council.
In the Policy Council Chairperson's packet, I've also included a brief cover letter to parents, which I've asked to be included when this resource is distributed in your program. Thank you for your ongoing support to parents as they protect and nurture their children.
/ Windy M. Hill /
Windy M. Hill
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau
(Download in PDF)
Attachments:
Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents (in English and Spanish)
HSPIC Order Form [PDF, 262KB] for additional copies of the guide
A Cover Letter to Head Start Parents (in English and Spanish)