Film Helps Keep Children Safe

How do You Want Your Kids Counted?

by Mac Duffy

Your child isn't coming home today. It's a scary thought we immediately want to remove from our minds. But, what if it's true? At five minutes, you'll chalk it up to a delay. At forty-five, you start calling everyone you can possibly think of. Where are they? Who was the last person to see my child? Did they tell you where they were going?

No answers. No closure. Five and a half months go by and your child is still nowhere to be found. A harsh reality for many and a serious wake-up call for the rest of us.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) states that in 1999 an estimated 797,500 children were reported missing. And, those are just the ones reported missing that year. What about the number since then or the number each year that fall victim to violent crime? How many this year? How many today? And, what can be done?

The answer may be "All Kids Count", a proposed series of films, pending needed funding from Congress, that are dedicated to educating our nation's families on issues concerning child safety and to protect them from pedophiles, abduction, school violence and other criminal activity.

The NCMEC concluded that "while virtually every school conducts some sort of child-safety program for its students, most are inadequate and few offer the kind of positive, comprehensive, research-based, grade- and age-appropriate curricula that is necessary."

Henry David Thoreau once noted, "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root."

"All Kids Count" intends to deliver a program that can be effectively monitored, gauged and evaluated by our nation's school libraries, making sure that, indeed, all kids are counted. Most educators will agree that an audio visual delivery system is far more effective than just "reading" about the subject matter. So, the intent is to create four films, relying heavily on vital input from experts, such as psychologists, educators, and law enforcement personnel, so that each film is specifically tailored to the needs of four different age groups, including parents.

The "one striking at the root" in this case is Michael Nathanson, owner of Upstart Productions, a Los Angeles based production company specializing in family programming. His credits include the popular teen comedy, "She's Out of Control", for Columbia Pictures, "Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire" for the Disney Channel, and "The Bulkin Trail", a critically acclaimed family special, based on the true story of Michael's success in overcoming personal obstacles as embodied in his creation of an elaborate sledding trail while still a boy in rural Pennsylvania.

Based on a concept originally suggested by his mother, Selma Edelstein Bulkin, "All Kids Count" tackles an issue that is close to his own heart. As such, Michael has been working on a strictly volunteer basis to see this endeavor to completion, contributing a great amount of time and effort, and repeatedly going all the way to Washington to seek the funding necessary to make this program available to all our children.

Like his younger self as depicted in the movie, Michael is once again building a trail from scratch. With no prior knowledge of the workings of Congress, he has had to feel his way along, removing obstacles and finding his way, inch by inch, to his desired destination.

Fortunately, this time around he is not alone. Prestigious National organizations such as The National Education Association (NEA) and The Congressional Women's Caucus have voiced their strong support, as well as such local luminaries as Congressman Joe Baca (California-43) and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (California-34). And, this is just the short list.

The American Library Association (ALA) has proven itself the staunchest supporter of "All Kids Count", going so far as to volunteer to act as fiscal agent for any monies granted the program by Congress, thereby granting the endeavor an added level of credibility necessary to attain such funds.

So, what's the next step? "Continue building the trail", Michael very simply states. "Every time someone asks me what 'All Kids Count' is about and I share details, the response is overwhelming and people profusely thank me for what I, and many others, have been trying to achieve. If we are able to obtain funding, I know the good this will do".

So, what do you think? How important is a project like this for our nation's children? Don't wait for a program to do what you can for your children now, but do let your Congressional representatives know how you feel and stay tuned for the future developments in store for "All Kids Count".

For background information on Michael's production company, visit:

www.millerguide.com/html/company.html