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American Morning
Jamie Lee Curtis Works to Reduce Number of Missing Children
Aired May 23, 2001 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A different type of missing person's story now. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has teamed up with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Ford dealerships to kick off a new nationwide child identification program. It's in connection with National Missing Children's Day, which comes up on Friday.
Jamie Lee Curtis joining us from Washington to talk more about the importance of this new program. Jamie Lee, good morning. Good to have you with us again.
JAMIE LEE CURTIS, ACTRESS: Good morning, Daryn. Thanks for having me on obviously a very busy news day.
KAGAN: Absolutely, it is. But this is a very important topic. And I know as a mom, this hits very close to your heart.
CURTIS: There is probably nothing that would give me more fear and panic than the idea of having one of my children be missing. And sadly, the statistics in this country that 750,000 children a year -- a year -- are reported missing by the FBI. That's 2,100 children a day.
KAGAN: And so your message to parents, you understand their fear, but it's not just about being scared, it's about being prepared as well.
CURTIS: Well, actually, what I'm doing is on behalf of Ford Motor Company and their blue oval certified Ford dealerships. They're offering I think an unprecedented public service campaign. It's called the Kids Care ID Kit.
And you can go into a blue oval certified Ford dealership. And you can have your child photographed and fingerprinted. And you are given this Kid Care ID Kit, which has a place for their photograph, their fingerprints. And you keep this. And it's the first thing that law enforcement is looking for if, God forbid, your child is reported missing.
KAGAN: I understand the photo, Jamie Lee. I don't understand the fingerprints.
CURTIS: They just want to be able to track a child any way they can. I'm surprised that there's not an opportunity for a DNA link because ultimately what you're trying to do is that the first 24 hours, as you know, is crucial. And anything you can give to help track your child is a very important tool.
I live in California. We have earthquake preparedness. When my children ride a bike, they do with a helmet on. This is just one more way to keep your children safe.
KAGAN: Another thing you need to do, you need to talk with your kids, don't you?
CURTIS: Well, one of the other things that's wonderful about this program is this it gives seven safety rules that you can talk with your children about that are just very simple proactive things that you can share with your children to help keep them safe in situations where obviously there may be a threat.
KAGAN: Right, we picked a few of them out because I know it's a long list. One of them, what to do -- you talk with your kid what to do if you're separated. Certainly, this can happen. You take your kid to the mall, you're at an amusement park, you turn around for a second and he or she has wandered away.
CURTIS: I would assume that there isn't a parent who you're talking to today who has not had one of those moments, who has not had one of those terrifying, heart-stopping moments where you turn around in a market or you turn around at a toy store and they're gone.
KAGAN: And so you need to talk to your kids and say, "If you're separated from mommy or daddy, you need to know what to do. And that's look for a person in charge, like at the counter."
CURTIS: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
CURTIS: A police officer. You can look for someone behind a counter. You can establish that you're missing and go to the security officers in wherever it is that you're at.
KAGAN: Also talk about...
CURTIS: I mean, situations are so different.
KAGAN: ... it talks about the buddy system. It's a good general rule.
CURTIS: Always travel with somebody else. Always let somebody else know where you are going and be with somebody else because, obviously, having someone to be with you at all times is another great deterrent in your child's safety.
KAGAN: Then we picked one about telling your kids to trust your feelings. And I know this one would ring home with you because you wrote a whole children's book about feelings.
CURTIS: I did. And I came on here and talked about it. And I thank you again for that lovely support. I was working today with a woman who puts on my makeup. And she was telling me of a story when she was 10 years old. And she had been grabbed and dragged into a car, and that she managed to get free.
And what I said to her, I said, "Well, did you tell your parents?" She said no, that she was afraid to tell because, of course, she was afraid that somehow someone would think that she did something wrong. And I think that that's a key message here, that you need to share with your parents, your teachers, your counselors, things that happen, that it wasn't your fault.
KAGAN: And kids need to feel comfortable with that. One more reminder, parents should go into a Ford dealership...
CURTIS: A specific blue oval certified Ford dealership and get a Kid Care ID kit free of charge.
KAGAN: Very good. And your kids are well?
CURTIS: My kids are very well and safe, thank you. And I can rest tonight knowing that my kids are safe today and healthy.
KAGAN: Very good. Some great tips. Always great to have you on.
CURTIS: And my husband still thinks you and I were separated at birth, that we are twin sisters looking for each other.
KAGAN: I can't think of a -- besides my real sister, I can't think of better sister. Jamie Lee Curtis...
CURTIS: Well, nice to see you, Daryn. Thanks for giving me the time.
KAGAN: Thanks for coming on with us. Appreciate it.
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