KidSmartz Teaches Child Safety Rules Ahead of Halloween

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Halloween is a fun-filled time for kids and parents alike, but it is also a holiday that requires a mindset of being safe. Today, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Honeywell Inc. (NYSE:HON) are teaming up with Nickelodeon actress, Tia Mowry, to launch KidSmartz™, a new program that aims to keep kids safe on Halloween and all year-round.

According to the FBI, police received more than 400,000 reports of missing children last year in the United States. KidSmartz is a personal safety program that educates parents, teachers and other trusted adults and law enforcement about preventing abduction. The program empowers kids in grades K-5 to practice safer behaviors in ways that are fun, innovative and easy-to-implement.                                                                                                                                               

"We have been analyzing attempted abductions for almost a decade and have learned a lot about the risks kids face and the strategies they can use to stay safe," said John Ryan, president and CEO of NCMEC. "Thanks to Honeywell, its employees and the support of Tia, we have an opportunity to share this potentially life-saving knowledge through the KidSmartz program."

Through the use of videos and engaging animations, KidSmartz helps teach critical safety information to children. The foundation of the KidSmartz curriculum focuses on the four rules of personal safety:

1. Check First
2. Take a Friend
3. Say "No" and Find Help
4. Tell a Trusted Adult

"Halloween presents a great opportunity to discuss safety with our kids," said Tia Mowry. "KidSmartz provides the tools that parents, teachers and law enforcement need to address a scary topic, but in a way that's fun and entertaining for kids. As a mom, I know that preparing for a night of trick-or-treating can be hectic, but taking a few minutes to talk with our kids about the four rules can make a difference in keeping them safe on Halloween — and every day of the year."

Parents, educators and other trusted adults can find instructional resources such as free classroom lesson plans, take-home printable materials for families, safety checklists and engaging and animated videos to empower kids to practice safer behaviors and reinforce the four rules of personal safety.

KidSmartz reinvents the concepts and methods developed in 2005 for the "Got 2B Safe! Think Smart and Take Charge" program, Honeywell's first nationwide classroom-based child abduction prevention program for third-graders launched in partnership with NCMEC. This fall Got2BSafe! will be expanded to impact even more children thanks to the next generation of the program — KidSmartz.

"For 10 years we've partnered with NCMEC to keep a watch over our nation's children and supply them with resources that can help them recognize and avoid dangerous situations," said Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate social responsibility organization. "I'm proud of what we have already accomplished with Got2Bsafe! and hope to continue that success with the KidSmartz program by reaching more children, parents and teachers."

To encourage educators to utilize the site, teachers who download the KidSmartz Education Toolkit will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $250 gift card that can be used for purchasing school supplies. Drawings will take place once a month through the end of the year.

The KidSmartz curriculum and related materials are available for download at www.KidSmartz.org. For more information, check out KidSmartz on Facebook and Twitter.

About Child Abduction
According to the FBI, more than 400,000 children were reported missing last year in the United States. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has analyzed more than 9,000 abduction attempts and found that many: involved a suspect driving a vehicle; occurred between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; occurred when the child was traveling to or away from school or a school related activity; or involved girls and children between the ages of 10 and 14. The more you know about abduction prevention, the better protected your child will be.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is the leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working with law enforcement, families and the professionals who serve them on issues relating to missing and sexually exploited children. Authorized by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on these issues, NCMEC operates a hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST^® (1-800-843-5678), and has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 196,000 children. NCMEC also operates the CyberTipline, a mechanism for reporting child pornography, child sex trafficking and other forms of child sexual exploitation. Since it was created in 1998, more than 2.9 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation have been received, and more than 124 million suspected child pornography images have been reviewed. NCMEC works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, visit www.missingkids.com. Follow NCMEC on Twitter and like NCMEC on 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 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

SOURCE The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Related Links

http://www.missingkids.com