Keeping kids safe

ARLINGTON - Children skipped into the Tree House Academy in Arlington recently, looking forward to an afternoon of face painting, games and other carnival activities. But beyond all the balloons and bright posters, their parents anticipated activities of a more serious nature to promote safety.

As part of the Keeping Our Kids Safe campaign, parents received handouts and had the opportunity to have their children photographed and fingerprinted for a computer identification card.

The open house at the child-care center was the first in a series of activities to kick off this month as Keeping Our Kids Safe month.

The campaign is sponsored by the Child Care Marketing Group, which specializes in advertising and public relations for child-care centers. Gloria Mansfield, who started the company in March, said she also provides information to parents and training for child-care staff members.

"Since we're advertising, we make sure we're delivering what we advertise so this raises the bar in the quality of care," Mansfield said.

According to Mansfield, the Keeping Our Kids Safe slogan was chosen for May because children tend to be less supervised during the summer months and more apt to get into trouble.

Mansfield said she hopes the campaign will make parents and teachers more aware of safety. To help, participating child-care centers will send safety reminders home with the children during May.

As part of their training, Mansfield encourages workers to think through and prepare for dangerous situations. The centers also do systematic security checks at their facilities.

"I've seen stories where a door isn't secured properly, and a child uses the restroom and goes out the door," Mansfield said.

The Humpty Dumpty child-care center will also host a Keeping Our Kids Safe carnival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 1601 E. Abram St. Four other child-care centers in the area will hold child-safety meetings for parents.

At the Tree House Academy carnival, James Washington, area distributor of the Safe Kids Card, was on hand to take pictures and fingerprint children for a CD-ROM. Parents can carry at all times the $12 credit-card size disc that contains information police would need for a report on a missing child.

"They help expedite the time it takes to get the information out if a child is missing," Washington said of the discs. The CD-ROM format lets police e-mail or fax the information widely in the area almost immediately. Washington will also sell the cards at the carnival Saturday.

Renee Hughes, co-owner and director of the Tree House Academy, has worked in the child-care industry for 25 years. She listed tornado drills, bomb-threat drills and stranger drills as part of the preparations for the children's safety. She and the other teachers try to remain alert to who comes and goes in their parking lot and on their property.

The carnival at the Tree House Academy was also a way to let parents know about their summer camp program for 5- through 12-year-olds, which Hughes said is an option for parents who don't want to leave their children at home unsupervised this summer. The academy will charge $20 a day for each child, and parents pay only for the days their child attends.

Keeping Our Kids Safe

Carnival: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Humpty Dumpty Day School

1601 E. Abram St.

(817) 275-8961

Centers participating in the Keeping Our Kids Safe campaign with either a carnival or parent meeting are:

Tree House Academy, 8001 S. Matlock Road, (817) 417-8955

Humpty Dumpty Day School, 1601 E. Abram St., (817) 275-8961

High Point Children's Academy, 711 W. Arbrook Blvd., (817) 465-8866

Noah's Ark Christian Academy, 2301 W. Arkansas Lane, (817) 303-8799

The Children's Place, 2312 Ramynse Drive, (817) 548-9020

Dominion Preschool and Daycare, 801 W. Bardin Road, (817) 468-1072