FARMINGTON – Dr. Dora A. Mills will be the keynote speaker at a conference on child safety, “Bridging the Safety Gaps.” The director of the Maine Bureau of Health, Mills is Maine’s chief health officer.
The conference, sponsored by the Franklin County Children’s Task Force, will be 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 23, in the G.H. Bass Room at Franklin Memorial Hospital.
After an introduction by Steven Russell and the speaker, participants will have an opportunity to attend two of the following 45-minute sessions:
• “Drugs, Alcohol and Parental Denial,” presented by Tom White of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. He’ll show a 15-minute video of Ernest Tripp telling his story of drug abuse that started at age 14, and his recovery. A brief discussion of local problems and a question-and-answer session will follow.
• “Household Safety” with Dr. Richard Rosol. He’ll discuss how to encourage an infant or toddler’s natural curiosity while keeping the home environment safe for exploration. Participants will see and discuss child-friendly yards, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
• “Internet Safety – Keeping Children Safe Online.” This presentation will help give parents a sense of the importance of having an awareness of their child’s experience. Excerpts from Internet chat-room conversation with a teenager will be used to point out vulnerabilities and to help parents build a prevention strategy for their family. The presenter is Michael Burd, community education and information coordinator at the Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services in Farmington and a member of the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force.
• “Violent Toys in Violent Times.” Young children see and hear an overwhelming amount of violence through the media. Armed and dangerous-looking action figures line toy aisles, and many television programs have cartoon characters that solve problems through fighting and brute strength. Marcia Lovell, a child-care program specialist from the Office of Child Care and Head Start, will discuss concerns about whether these experiences influence young children.
• “ATV and Snowmobile Safety.” Shon Theriault of the Maine Warden Service will provide an update on the new ATV laws, as well as snowmobile laws in Maine. Theriault will provide advice for parents on ways to stay within the laws and keep their children safe.
For more information or to register, people can call the task force at 778-6960 or (888) 429-6960, or at the Web site, www.fcctf.org.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
