N.A.C.A.P. unveils the first Talking Robot to aid in teaching Abduction Prevention to children attending pre-school through grade school.
The National Association for Child Abduction Prevention (N.A.C.A.P.) announced today that it has developed a robot prototype to teach Abduction Prevention to children attending pre-school through grade school. The robot is part of a national campaign to eliminate child abduction in this country, says Andrew Meltzer, Executive Director for N.A.C.A.P. We developed a friendly robot character to engage and teach children about this important subject matter without scaring them . The Talking Robot is operated by a N.A.C.A.P. Certified Safety Instructor to teach children how to identify and avoid dangerous situations that may lead to child abduction. Meltzer reports, "Children are also taught how to identify and avoid adults exhibiting bad behavior and actions, instead of teaching them old-school methods of stranger avoidance". Meltzer suggests, it may be a stranger that actually saves a child from becoming victimized one day and that it is more important to recognize questionable behavior. Ultimately, an educated child can recognize bad behavior regardless of whether an adult appears friendly or is wearing a uniform or badge. The Talking Robot is designed to introduce children to safety concepts through a series of role playing exercises. Meltzer hopes to introduce the Talking Robot to children through the day care and educational community at large. The Talking Robot is currently featured on the N.A.C.A.P. website: www.nacap.org

Last year, over 800,000 children were reported missing as a result of runaway, throwaway and abduction prevention incidents. In the wake of last year's tidal wave of child abduction headlines, many parents have a heightened concern about the safety of their children but are nonetheless ill-prepared to respond to a child's disappearance, says Andrew Meltzer, Executive Director of N.A.C.A.P. Meltzer cites, many parents are reluctant to even think about the subject, let alone discuss it with their children. The Talking Robot offers a unique way to reach and educate children about Abduction Prevention without scaring them.

The National Association for Child Abduction Prevention ( N.A.C.A.P) is a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the organization are tax deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes. Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement. Charity Registration # CH2252100