Tips To Keep Your Children Safer

Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States. If you're a parent or guardian, the realization that your child could go missing may be your biggest fear. With summer vacation in full swing, and thousands of children out enjoying the weather, families need to take extra precautions to keep their children safer.

Here are some quick and easy tips from Knowing the Rules... Summer Safety Tips for Parents and Guardians by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help increase the safety of children in your community:

• Be sure to go over the rules with your children about whose homes they can visit when you're not there and discuss the boundaries of where they can and can't go in the neighborhood.

• Make sure children know their full names, address, and telephone numbers and how to use the telephone. Be sure they know what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you using cellular or pager numbers. Children should have a neighbor or trusted adult they can call if they're scared or there's an emergency.

• Teach your children in whose car they may ride. Children should be cautioned never to approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or other trusted adult.

• Make sure your children know to stay away from pools, canals or other bodies of water without adult supervision.

• Since daylight lasts longer during the summer months, be sure your children know their curfew and to check in with you if they are going to be late. If you allow your children to play outside after dark, make sure they have reflective clothing on and stay close to home.

• Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends and neighbors. Many states now have registries for public access to check criminal history or sex-offender status. Observe the babysitter's interaction with your children and ask your children how they feel about the babysitter.