You Can
"Block Off"
Trouble!
If you fear for your
child's safety as he
walks to and from school,
follow the lead of other
concerned parents and
organize a Block Parent Plan
in your neighborhood
By NORAH SMARIDGE
WHEN LITTLE GIRLS are
lost, they are supposed to
be terribly frightened. But that
wasn't the case with the pony
tailed tot who stood on Mrs.
Anita Hills' porch when she
went to answer her doorbell.
"I don't know where my house is.
Would you tell me, please?" the
youngster piped cheerfully.
Mrs. Hills invited her inside, and
the little girl continued in a matter-of-fact
way:
"We just moved here and I al
ready know how to get to and from
school by myself. But today I guess
I forgot. Would you show me?"
Mrs. Hills asked the little girl's
name, telephoned the school, and with
in minutes had the child's address and
was walking her home. '
The terror of being lost is universal
among children. The little girl who
stopped at Mrs. Hills' door was no
more immune to it than any other
youngster. But one factor made a dif
ference she attended Halcyon School
in San Leandro, Calif.
Pupils at Halcyon can stray far
from their familiar routes and still
find in every block a sign that reads
"BP." The letters stand for "block
parent," but to a youngster they say:
"Here's a friend who can help me."
San Leandro is the home of the
Block Parent Plan. It was not specifi
cally designed to assist lost children,
but it has been of great help in such
instances. The 'plan was initiated
about five years ago, when the par
ents of Halcyon School pupils were
becoming worried about the increase
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in crimes against small children. unusual plan for safeguarding young- Can other communities do what San
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can't supervise such a wide area. We tion of the P. T. A. and the San Le- plans, so if you and your neighbors
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1. Organize ynder the sponsorship
of the P.T.A. or some other stable, re
spected neighborhood group.
2. Get the support of your school's
principal. Allow him to decide whether
your committee or his staff should
7
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teach the children the meaning of the
Block Parent sign.
3. Get permission to use school files
for compiling a list of names, ad-,
dresses, and phone numbers of all par
ents of children in your school.
4. Mail letters to each home, ex
plaining the need of a Block Parent
Plan in your area, and ask for full
co-operation and assistance. Ask those
who would like to volunteer to call the
chairman of your committee. (Don't
let them upset school routine by tele
phoning there!)
5. Keep a record listing volunteers
and this information:
Name of the proposed Block Parent,
number of adults riving in the house,
number of . children under 12 living
there, the husband's occupation, the
hours that he is away from home, and
the wife's occupation. Information of
fered by other sources than the vol
unteer (for instance, neighbors and
teachers) are noted on the card.
This may sound like an excessive
amount of checking. But it isn't. Peo
ple have volunteered who have alco
holics or persons with contagious dis
eases in their homes. Such volunteers,
of course, are rejected.
In San Leandro, all block parents
agreed to be fingerprinted and checked
for criminal records. Not all commu
nities may wish to go to such lengths.
These measures, however, help reas
sure parents that a home with a Block
Parent sign has been thoroughly in
vestigated and found safe.
BLOCK PARENTS themselves must be
protected against liability. To
this end, the following rules should be
explained to them and written on the
backs of the signs they display in
their windows.
1. Do not transport youngsters in
your car. Call the proper person for
the child's particular problem.
(a) Lost child under school age, call
your police department.
(b) Lost child of school age, call
your school.
(c) Slightly injured child, send on
to school or back to his home.
(d) Seriously injured child, call
school or parent.
(e) Critically injured child, call
police for aid. They will call an am
bulance, if necessary.
2. In case of injury, do not admin
ister first aid except to stop excessive
bleeding or restore breathing. Contact
parent, school, or police.
3. Do not offer food or beverages to
any youngster. Some children are al
lergic to certain foods.
4. A report must be made to your
committee chairman within four
hours after the child is helped.
5. When a child has been frightened
by a stranger, notify the police and
committee chairman immediately.
Once the plan is in action, parents
must do their share. They must re
mind their children continually to go
to the Block Parent when in trouble.
The Block Parent is not asked to go
out and look for children in distress.
When the Block Parent plan is es
tablished in a community, parents rest.,
easier. Not only does the plan provide
help in dozens of minor mishaps, but
it is an efficient way of protecting
small children against the many haz
ards of modern-day living.
i
Family Weekly. May 13, 1962
Family Weekly. May 13, 1962
9