Actress Jamie Lee Curtis Keep Houston Kids Safe

HOUSTON, May 8 -- Ford and actress Jamie Lee Curtis are teaming up today in Houston to help focus attention on keeping kids safe -- in a city where the number of reported missing children is among the highest in the United States.

Curtis is making the appearance at Charlie Thomas Ford to launch Ford's "Commitment to Kids" program -- a national child identification effort that aims to reduce the number of missing children each year.

The Commitment to Kids program is a second-year partnership among Blue Oval Certified Ford dealers, Curtis and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

According to NCMEC reports, the state of Texas ranked second last year with more than 60,000 children reported missing -- behind only California. In Houston, 5,641 children were reported missing in 2001.

"Blue Oval Certification signifies a Ford dealer's commitment to serve customers," said Steve Lyons, Ford Division president. "The Commitment to Kids program is a unique way our dealers are serving their communities."

From May 8 through May 19, Houston-area parents can bring their children to participating Blue Oval Certified Ford dealerships and receive free child safety ID kits.

The national program launched April 9 at New York's FBI headquarters as Ford and Curtis hosted an event reuniting recovered missing children with the law enforcement officers who found them.

"Most of our time is centered on taking care of our customers' vehicle needs," said Bob Zweig, general manager of Charlie Thomas Ford. "The Commitment to Kids program allows our employees to play an important role in the safety of the entire community -- both in and out of -- the vehicle."

Statistics indicate that more than one-third of parents do not know their child's exact height, weight and eye color -- information critical to expediting the return of a missing child. Each child's physical description information will be recorded in the ID kit along with a photograph and set of fingerprints.

"Helping Ford dealers spread the word about child safety and draw attention to the staggering number of children reported missing each year really has hit home for me," said Curtis. "As a parent, I'm proud to be part of this effort to protect kids -- our most valuable asset."

According to FBI data, missing children reports in 2001 dropped to 725,000 -- about 2,000 per day -- the lowest annual total in a decade. Statistics show that community education and prevention programs, like Commitment to Kids, help reduce the number of missing children.

Last summer, Blue Oval Certified Ford dealers distributed more than 450,000 child ID kits nationwide. Ford expects that number to reach nearly one million this year.