First Lady Advises Preparedness for Children
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First lady Laura Bush (search) said Friday that young children should learn their full names, addresses and parents' names to speed up reunions after disasters like Hurricane Katrina or anytime a child is lost.
Bush told the story of a 5-year-old boy found walking on Interstate 10 in New Orleans (search) who knew his name, address, mother's name and the name of his church.
"So that's a very good reminder to all of us that we need to teach our children as soon as they can talk," she said during a visit to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (search), which set up a special Katrina hot line with retired law enforcement officers working the phones.
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As of noon Wednesday, the latest total available, 2,709 children had been reported either missing or found without caregivers, with 701 of their cases resolved. The center had taken 16,637 Katrina-related calls total.
The center's president and CEO, Ernie Allen, said the first lady's visit "brings greater hope and greater visibility" to the hot line and a Web site — http://www.missingkids.com/ — with the children's photographs.
"What's been most important is letting people know the existence of the Web site and the fact that there's a special effort," Allen said.
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The first lady praised the "very heartfelt speech" given by President Bush (search) Thursday night from New Orleans and lauded the hot line volunteers, who include Herman Hargrove (search), a retired New York Police Department detective.
"You can't imagine what it's like to lose a loved one," said Hargrove, who has been with the center since 1992. "To reunite a family is one of the noblest things you can do."
The Katrina hot line is 888-544-5475.