The Labor Day parade with its blaring horns and beating drums was over and Angie Worth, along with her newborn daughter Ella, 2-year-old son Todd, and elderly grandmother headed back to the car. The happy, exciting morning turned into panicked chaos when Worth lost sight of her energetic toddler. “Todd took off running into the crowd and was out of my sight in just seconds,” Worth recalls. “I started yelling his name and running in the direction where he was last seen.” Just as she was about to call the police, Todd reappeared. “I was so relieved and shaken at the same time,” she says.

The idea of losing a child and not knowing what happened to him or her is every parent’s worst nightmare. Although abduction by strangers is statistically rare, the media sensationalism of such events makes the ordeal seem more likely. Chances are your child may sometime require the help of a stranger, which leaves many parents wondering: Who should your child approach for help and how much information should your child give? Beth Wegner, a crime prevention specialist who facilitates safety workshops for families offers these ten strategies to help parents keep their child safe from strangers.

1. Define “stranger.” Wegner tells children that strangers can be nice and, even though they may have toys or pets, strangers are people you do not know. In general, it’s easiest to teach very young kids to not talk to strangers at all. “For the older children, we can go into more detail and define who a dangerous stranger is,” she says. Most importantly, if someone makes  your child feel uncomfortable and won’t leave him or her alone, yell “Stranger!” and run to tell a trusted adult.
2. Practice “what-if” scenarios. Use visits to large stores or the zoo as opportunities to educate your children about what to do if you should become separated from each other. Agree on an easy-to-find meeting spot. Debby Helmer, a former nanny and school teacher, says she began pointing out cash registers at various stores to her 7-year-old son Alex, when he was three years old. “I have found that cash registers are easier to find than customer service. I tell my kids to only talk to the cashier,” she says. Assure your child that you will never leave a place without him.
3. Are there safe strangers? Wegner doesn’t advocate ever talking to strangers. “With impersonators out there, including women with children, the safe stranger concept is a slippery slope,” Wegner says. Err on the side of caution when pointing out strangers your children could seek help from. In a store, for example, make sure they notice a store employee’s actual uniform, including a distinctive name tag or badge and not just the colors employees wear. Instruct them to only talk to employees in an area where other people are around.
4. Share limited information. Car rides provide a good time to practice going over your child’s name, address, and phone number. Turning it into a sing-song jingle may help to memorize those numbers.
5. Take pictures. Helmer suggests nonchalantly taking your kids’ pictures with your cell phone upon arrival at busy public places. Not only will you have yet another adorable picture of their smiling mugs to text to your family and friends, but you’ll also have a current picture to provide to authorities should the unthinkable occur.
6. Avoid advertising your child’s name on the back of his coat or backpack. Predators can use your child’s name as a way to strike up a conversation.
7. Have a couple of “in case of emergency” friends on call. Schools typically ask families to designate a few emergency contacts who have permission to pick children up in the event of an emergency. Have a similar policy in your family and make sure your kids know who the designated safe people are.
8. Tell them who they may NOT go with. It’s difficult enough to have someone untrustworthy in your family, but if you do not want that person to pick up your children in case of an emergency, then the children need to know that they should stay put until one of their “safe people” arrives.
9. Have a secret family password. If someone asks your child to go somewhere with him, your child can say that her parents only allow her to go with someone who knows the password. Explain to your child that even if the person is insistent that he has your approval, you would never give anyone permission to take her anywhere without her knowing ahead of time. If it’s a real emergency, the person you’ve put in charge will know the family password.
10. Safe-keep DNA samples. What do your child’s old toothbrushes, baby teeth, and hairbrushes have in common? According to crime experts, these items can serve as DNA samples to help find a missing child. Seal your child’s old toothbrush in a plastic bag and keep in the freezer labeled with the date and your child’s name. Save baby teeth in a labeled film canister in the freezer. Collect hair with the root attached from your child’s hairbrush and store it in a labeled envelope.

For more child safety tips, visit www.McGruff.org, www.safekids.org, www.ncpc.org, www.missingkids.com, or consult your local police department.