According to its website, Jan Isaacs Henry, Debra Campeau and Jan DeBoer established Kidpower of Colorado, a 501(c)(3) organization under the umbrella of Kidpower International, in 1994 in Colorado Springs. The program empowers kids to deal with threatening situations.Isaacs Henry, executive director, said it is important for people to know how to talk to children about being safe on their own and able to handle unsafe situations.In the last two years, Isaacs Henry said four kids reported using their Kidpower skills they learned in classes to get away from threatening incidents. She said that number only includes the kids who reported back to Kidpower.Kidpower provides classes to 78 schools and agencies, some of which are grantfunded programs, Isaacs Henry said. People can also request a community class, which is open to the public. ìLast year, we trained about 3,500 kids, teens and adults,î she said.ìWhatís unique about Kidpower is that we never turn away a child or family for lack of funds. Money should never be a reason why kids arenít getting these safety skills.îIsaacs Henry said the following recommendations could help parents keep their kids safe when they are without a guardian or parent.Teach kids to …
- Trust their instincts and get help if anything appears unsafe.
- Be in tune to their surroundings and not distracted by cell phones, etc.
- Stay in groups.
- Stay out of reach of strangers and never approach a car.
- Never give out personal information.
- Move away quickly and go to a safe place if they feel uncomfortable or someone tries to approach them or appears threatening.
- It is OK to kick, yell, hit and pull away from an attack.
