St. Louis Front Page - Not Just For KIDS!

Not Just For Kids!
features news, fun activities and places to visit in the Metro St. Louis area for the entire family.

Watch video which looks at new technology that may make it easier to install child safety seats and help keep kids safe. Newstream Video (Quicktime Movie: Cable, DSL, T1)

Protecting Kids in Car Crashes
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), February 16, 2003 - In a recent National SAFE KIDS Campaign survey, nearly half of parents reported that kids transported in child care are inappropriately restrained for their age and size.

The SAFE KIDS report, Transportation in Child Care Settings: Parent Knowledge and State Regulations, analyzed parents' knowledge and experiences regarding children in child care, specifically as they relate to transportation practices.

The survey revealed that nearly half of children are transported once a week or more, and one-third are transported daily by their provider. Key findings:

49 percent of parents reported that their children were transported by caregivers once a week or more.
60 percent of children were reported to be cared for in home settings versus 38 percent in program/center settings.
60 percent of children cared for in the home were reported to be cared for by their grandparents.
46 percent of children from birth to age eight who should have been in child safety seats were reported to be transported in lap belts and shoulder belts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 80 percent of child safety seats are installed improperly, used improperly or both.

In response to the confusion over child safety seats, the federal government requires that all vehicles built after September 1, 2003 be equipped with a LATCH system. "LATCH" stands for lower anchors and top-tethers for Children.

LATCH makes the installation of child restraints in the vehicle easier. In many cases, the LATCH attachment is easier to use than a seat belt, which may reduce misuse.

"The National SAFE KIDS Campaign and other advocates have done a wonderful job of educating parents on how to transport children safely in motor vehicles," said Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "This new program will help ensure that children receive the same attention when they are transported while in someone else's care."

To learn more about the LATCH system, log on to www.gmability.com or access information regarding the proper type of restraint for your child at www.safekids.org

Dora the Explorer Live! Hits the Road For National Tour
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), February 11, 2003 - Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Entertainment are teaming up to create Dora the Explorer Live! - Search for the City of Lost Toys, the first ever family stage show starring a Latina heroine.

Dora the Explorer Live! - Search for the City of Lost Toys is scheduled to perform in 32 cities across the United States. The national tour officially kicks off April 4, 2003 at the Palace Theatre in Louisville, KY. The tour includes a 10-day stop at New York City's legendary Radio City Music Hall from April 18 - 27. Dora the Explorer Live! will be in St. Louis, July 16 - 20.

Dora the Explorer Live! is based on the number one preschool show on commercial television, Dora the Explorer. The popular Dora is a seven-year-old Latina heroine, whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and both the TV and stage shows are designed to actively engage their audiences using a variety of learning techniques.

Dora and her best friend Boots invite the audience to join them in an exciting adventure. Each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must solve in order to move on to the next challenge. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. Dora teaches Spanish words or phrases to the audience and then asks them to use them to solve a problem and forge ahead.

"Dora has quickly captured the imagination of the pre-school audience and has become the number-one show on commercial television for kids this age since its debut on Nick Jr.," said Stuart Rosenstein, vice president, Recreation, Nickelodeon. "Dora the Explorer Live! is a culturally rich, interactive show for preschoolers and their families that helps her fans experience this wonderful character in a whole new way."

Featuring familiar songs, a captivating storyline and all the characters children have come to love, Dora the Explorer Live! showcases her friends, special helper Backpack, best friend Boots, Map, Swiper the Fox, Tico and Benny. The "Search for the City of Lost Toys" storyline is also the basis of the upcoming Nickelodeon primetime TV special schedule to air Monday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

Dora the Explorer Live! is directed by Gip Hoppe, who first worked with Nickelodeon and Clear Channel on Blue's Clues Live! and Blue's Clues Live! -- Blue's Birthday Party. Hoppe wrote and directed the Broadway play Jackie: An American Life. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre.

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