Take 25 to Focus on Child Safety

April 15, 2013

May 25 is National Missing Children’s Day, which serves as a reminder of how important child safety awareness and education is in our communities. Fire department personnel and Fire Corps teams can help provide life-saving safety information to children and their families as part of existing education initiatives. Resources are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) Take 25 web site.

Every year, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing to law enforcement. While the vast majority of these children are recovered quickly, there are many who never return home. To ensure these children remain in the hearts and minds of the public, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared May 25th as National Missing Children’s Day. This day serves as a time to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families, remember those who are still missing, and make child safety a national priority.

In commemoration of this day, NCMEC launched Take 25, a national campaign encouraging parents, guardians, and communities to take 25 minutes to speak with children about safety. With a focus on prevention, Take 25 provides communities with free resources to help initiate an on-going dialogue with children about safety. Throughout the entire month of May individuals and organizations are encouraged to host safety events to raise awareness of missing children’s issues.

Fire departments and Fire Corps teams can help in this effort by incorporating Take 25 materials into their fire prevention and life safety education and outreach programs. Resources available through the Take 25 campaign include an Organizer's Kit for planning a Take 25 event, Child ID Kit, resource sheet for parents, tip sheet for parents considering leaving their children home alone, conversation starters, and much more.

Download the Take 25 campaign flyer, and visit the web site at www.take25.org to access additional information and resources.