Ryan, Israel Introduce Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Resolution

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and Rep. Steve Israel, D-New York, introduced the “Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Day” resolution on June 13 in the House of Representatives, getting one step closer to The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation’s goal in protecting and educating children against the threats of abduction.

The resolution is currently pending before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and would support August 22 as a national day of recognition where all schools can go online and download a free curriculum designed to inform and empower children on keeping themselves safe from stranger abductions, according to the foundation.

Under the current system, there is no stranger safety program in the nation's schools. This program teaches children from ages 5-11, the awareness and the tools they need to assist them in their own safety as it relates to strangers.

 “As the father of three young children, I certainly understand the importance of educating our nation’s youth about how they can avoid the dangers presented by strangers,” said Ryan in a statement. “Keeping our children safe and secure is a community-wide undertaking which is why I’m glad to sponsor H.Res. 302 and join all of the teachers, parents, and neighborhood leaders across the country who play such important roles in this ongoing effort.”

Utilizing a multi-media platform, the Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Program is dynamic, informative and fun for the students. The core messages are presented in simple DVD format with individual lesson plans written around each show.

They are designed to deliver vital stranger safety concepts to children in a non-threatening, yet thought provoking manner. Each lesson plan includes a checklist of short-term and long-term objectives for the teacher to use as a guide, a list of materials needed to teach each lesson as well as summary statements and suggested homework assignments.

“As a father, I know that there is nothing more important than keeping our children safe. The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation is working hard to ensure our schools and communities are informing and preparing children for any situation. I commend them on their efforts,” Israel said in a statement.

The foundation was started after 11-year old Carlie Brucia was abducted and murdered in Sarasota, Fla. in 2004. Her cousin, Matthew J. Barbis, a Holbrook resident and Sachem High School alumnus, has been working tirelessly to create stranger safety awareness.

“Declaring a national day plays an important role in our mission to reducing the number of child abductions,” said Barbis, who is the founder and chairman of The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation, "On August 22, every elementary school teacher in the country will have access to Volume 1 of our multi-media stranger safety awareness program, free of charge. It is imperative to give our children the tools they need to stay safe.”