National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Old Navy Send Kids Back to School Safely and in Style

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington, DC area based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Old Navy have partnered for a child safety event that will take place in Old Navy stores nationwide from September 13 through September 16.  During the event, families will receive a free kid safety kit that includes safety tips, an activity book and a child ID.  Additionally, customers who donate five dollars or more to NCMEC can take advantage of back-to-school savings with 10 percent off their purchase.

"Approximately 35 percent of attempted abductions happen when a child is going to and from school or a school-related activity.  That makes this time of year a perfect time for families to talk about safety," said John Ryan, CEO of NCMEC.  "We are grateful to Old Navy for being an advocate for child safety and partnering with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on this exciting opportunity to reach families across the country with potentially life-saving information."

The free kid safety kit includes safety tips for children of all ages that will help families talk about potential dangers and what children should do if they encounter an unsafe situation.  The free tips cover safety both in personal situations and on the Internet. 

On Saturday, September 15, customers will also have an opportunity to meet local heroes during an in-store kid's safety fair.  Old Navy stores nationwide will be inviting local law enforcement, military and other local heroes to speak with families about how they can keep their children safer. 

NCMEC's media partners, AOL Inc., Covario, Inc., and Dotomi, a ValueClick company (NASDAQ: VCLK) have provided support in developing the Old Navy safety event's online campaign.  The campaign features a message from John Walsh, co-founder of NCMEC and host of Lifetime Television's "America's Most Wanted." Please visit http://oldnavy.missingkids.com to see John Walsh's message, learn more about the event, and to find an Old Navy store near you.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984.  Designated by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on issues related to missing and exploited children, the organization operates the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 3,620,000 calls.  It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 178,000 children.  The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 1,572,500 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 73,063,600 child pornography images and videos.  The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

About Old Navy

Old Navy originated in 1994 and quickly became one of the world's most successful brands, offering customers the latest fashion at great prices. Today, the brand continues to offer on-trend apparel and irresistible basics for adults and children at a surprising value. And, best of all, Old Navy brings it all to customers in a fun, energizing shopping environment. To learn more, visit www.oldnavy.com.