Child Safety Matters!

Lil’ Iguana’s

Family Fun
Day is Almost Here!

Mark your calendar for May 11^th!

Location: Nashua High School South

36 Riverside St., Nashua, NH

10:00am to 4:00pm

The Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation (LICSF), headquartered in Nashua, NH is once again hosting its FAMILY FUN DAY event!

Be one of the first 1,000 attendees to Family Fun Day on May 11^th and receive a free giveaway bag!

What you can look forward to….

• All-Day Live Entertainment
• Craft and Activity Booths
• Jump Houses
• Face Painting
• Balloon Twisting
• Lil’ Iguana – live and in person!
• Meet & Greets by Lil’ Iguana and local
  mascots
• Princess Characters
• Pirates
• And much, much more!

Go on-line at http://www.liliguanausa.org/ffd for the full list of mascot appearances and times.  Download  the “official coloring contest entry form”
here: http://bit.ly/XZLyZa.

Also, check us out on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/liliguana.

Lil’ Iguana is a non-profit foundation.  For 18 years, Lil’ Iguana’s mission has been to help save kids from abduction, abuse, child predators and accidental injuries through its music- based program.

What can you do in 40 seconds? Pour a cup of coffee? FIND the TV remote?
In reality, in 40 seconds, your child can be GONE. A child is abducted every 40 seconds in the US startling statistics… NO parent has ever woken up and said “Today is the last time I’ll send little Suzie to school.” We become complacent in our surroundings. You might even hear other parents talking… ”That would never happen in our neighborhood.” Guess what? It DOES! EVERY 40 SECONDS! Remember these important statistics, so that you may prevent this from happening to your child:
• The US Dept of Justice reports that over 800,000 children are reported missing every year. That is 2,185 children DAILY.
• Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child becomes missing or is abducted. Most of these cases are solved within a short period of time.
• Based on the identity of the perpetrator, there are three distinct types of kidnapping: kidnapping by a relative of the victim or “family kidnapping,” kidnapping by an acquaintance of the victim or “acquaintance kidnapping,” and kidnapping by a stranger to the victim or “stranger kidnapping.”
• Acquaintance kidnapping involves a higher percentage (comparatively) of juvenile perpetrators, has the largest percentage of female and teenage victims, is more often associated with other crimes (especially sexual and physical assault), occurs at homes, and has the highest percentage of injured victims.
• Stranger kidnapping victimizes more females than males, occurs primarily at outdoor locations, victimizes both teenagers and school-age children, and is associated with mostly sexual assaults in the case of girl victims and mostly robberies in the case of boy victims.
• In 80 percent of abductions by strangers, the first contact between the child and the abductor occurs within a quarter mile of the child’s home.
• Most potential abductors grab their victims on the street or try to lure them into their vehicles.
• About 74 percent of the victims of nonfamily child abduction are girls.
• One in five children 10 to 17 years old are the recipient of unwanted sexual solicitations online.
The time to be a parent is NOW! Take the time to address this growing problem, it is not going away, and as a responsible parent, it is your job to instill good habits in your child to keep them safe. Teach them:
1. To get permission from the person in charge before they go anywhere with anyone, even if they know the person.
2. If they do not get or have permission, they cannot go with that person.
3. If they do not have permission, and that person still tries to take them, they should “run, run, run, yell, and tell.”
4. They need to RUN away, kick, bite, scratch… Do anything it takes to get away if someone grabs them!
5. They need to YELL things like “This is NOT my daddy/mommy!” or “This person is trying to take me.” These phrases will get the attention of people nearby who will be able to help.
6. Then they need to TELL an adult they trust RIGHT AWAY.
7.
Remember, seconds count! Always know where your children are, and who they are with. If they are going over to a friends house, have them call you when they get there. There is NO such thing as being ‘too safe’…Checkout more info at ‘Liliguanausa.org’

‘Lil Iguana’ is a specialty child safety program designed for children 2-8. Through song and theatrics, it helps instill important habits for your child’s safety, and aids in retention. Preventing abduction, sexual abuse, and child predators, this program is in use nationwide, and has saved many children over the last 15 years.

Child abuse prevention is at an all time high. The cold facts are these: Every 13 sec
onds, a child is abused in the US. A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds, and more than 5 children die DAILY in the US due to child abuse. WHY? There is no need. A child who lives through the abuse only grows up with anger and resentment. Quite often, (59%) abused children are arrested for crimes in their teen years. Child abduction is every parent’s biggest fear. However, only 1.4% of all abductions are by strangers. 98.6% of all abductions are committed by someone the child has had personal contact with. There are three types of abduction. 1^st, by a family member, (relative kidnapping) 2^nd, a person your child knows, or has had previous contact with, (acquaintance kidnapping) 3^rd, a total stranger (stranger kidnapping). Every 40 seconds a child is abducted n the US. In 80% of stranger kidnappings, initial contact between the perpetrator and victim occurs within ¼ mile of the home. As responsible adults, it is our job to prevent child abuse. We need to take a stand, and protect those who cannot protect themselves. Start early with your child, and teach them the following basics.

• Does your child know about their Harm Alarm?  It is the funny or uncomfortable feeling they get when they know something doesn’t seem right.
• When your child’s Harm Alarm goes off and they get this feeling they need to tell Mom, Dad, or an adult they trust right away.
• Does your child know they should never be pressured to go somewhere or do something?  If your child is ever pressured or instructed to do something they do not feel comfortable doing, they need to tell an adult right away.
• Does your child know how to get permission?  This means looking Mom, Dad, or the adult in charge right in the eyes and asking if they can do something or go somewhere.
• Children need to ask permission before they go anywhere, even if they know the person.
• If they do not get or have permission, they cannot go with that person.
• If they do not have permission, and that person still tries to take them, they should “run, run, run, yell, and tell.”
• They need to RUN away, kick, bite, scratch… Do anything it takes to get away if someone grabs them!
• They need to YELL things like “This is NOT my daddy/mommy!” or “This person is trying to take me.”  These phrases will get the attention of people nearby who will be able to help.
• Then they need to TELL an adult they trust RIGHT AWAY.

Even better, take your child to a child safety program like Lil’ Iguana Live.  Interactive programs, like Lil Iguana are the best way to teach your children how to stay safe because they are presented through music, which is the number one way to teach.   The lessons are presented in a non-threatening way, and will instill life lessons in your child as they have fun listening to songs. It is a program you can feel secure with, knowing you are gently guiding your child through a safe and happy childhood. For more information about the Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation and its programs, go to the website, ‘Liliguanausa.org’