Missing Child Database

Massachusetts law makers are currently trying to pass legislation that would help form a database of missing children and runaways in the state. The database would help law enforcement across the board in tracking missing children who are often pulled into child prostitution rings.

Laurie Myers, who runs the victim advocacy group Community VOICES, expressed frustration the bill has languished.

“A lot of these children run away to other towns or they become involved in child prostitution,” she said. “There’s no coordinated effort to look for the most vulnerable kids in our society.”

Baddour too is frustrated but said he’s “encouraged” by talks he’s had with Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration about the bill.

With as many as 2,000 children reported missing daily in the United States, most states have a central clearinghouse but Massachusetts does not. The Massachusetts State police Web site, however, lists a dozen teens as “endangered runaways” and provides links to various law enforcement agencies.

 

Amber Alert Sinage

The state of California is toying with the idea of selling advertising space on Amber Alert billboards that dot the highway system when they are not in use for alerts. The potential ad revenue generated would go towards repairs on the CalTran System.

"I think when you look at the state of California’s transportation system and the need for repairs and rehabilitation to that system, we’ve got to figure out different ways to provide resources to accomplish that rehabilitation," said CalTrans Director Will Kempton.

Some, however, oppose the idea:

"This is absolutely the last thing we need. It’s a bad proposal. It can compromise highway safety. It’s a driver distraction," said Dennis Hathaway, Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight.

Opponents also question how effective the message boards will be if they’re used for something other than a true emergency.

Your thoughts? Good idea or bad?

 

Child Safety For BPA

The debate over the safety of bisphenol-A, or BPA, rages on with very conflicting evidence. Is it safe for your child? Is it not safe? And what plastic numbers ARE safe for children? Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine in the toxicology program have the following advice for parents who are conflicted on the issue:

Scientists from the toxicology offer this advice:

-Watch for the numeral 7 on the bottom of plastic containers. That often means they contain BPA.

-Don’t microwave plastic food containers made with BPA. Better to use glass or porcelain.

-Watch out for canned foods for children.

-Search for baby bottles and other baby products that are BPA-free.

Some states are considering bills to restrict the use of BPA for the young, and Congress is assessing several possible remedies including a BPA ban in children’s products or a ban on BPA in packaging that touches food. The best effort, however, would be the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. It would require that children’s products are proved safe before they are sold, not — as with BPA — the other way around.

 

Children’s Hurricane Safety Tips

Hurricane season has arrived, and with that comes many apprehensive months for adults as they worry about protecting their home and family should the worst happen. Many times we forget that children aren’t immune from the tense situations that arise from natural disasters such as hurricanes, and open lines of communication need to be established to alleviate their anxiety. The Houston Chronicle ran an article today (as Hurricane Ike races in their direction) regarding how to help children through such a difficult time.

"The really hard part is talking about destruction that happens someplace else. It’s important that parents know what their children are watching, that they talk to children about what they are seeing, that parents know whether a set of images is particularly frightening or distressing for children and then act to limit those images," said Dr. John Sargent, a Houston child psychiatrist and Baylor School of Medicine psychiatry professor.

"The important thing to remember is that children vary in how they understand things at different ages and children have very different perceptions of time at different ages and also vary individually to the degree to which they get frightened or not," he said.

Included in the article is a great checklist of tips for parents regarding how to handle issues that come up in the wake of a natural disaster.

 

Child Safety Advice

While reading up on child safety it is usually a very bleak subject. There’s nothing worse than tragedies that happen with children, and it is tough to hear about. So stumbling upon this impassioned editorial by a former firefighter about his

child’s safety in his home

was a great change of pace to read. Please check out the entire article for yourself.