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McGruff House
       
A McGruff House is a temporary haven for
children who need help or find themselves in emergency or frightening
situations such as being bullied, followed or hurt while walking in a
neighborhood.
A McGruff House provides a sense of
security and a source of emergency aid. It is not an escort service or
a guarantee of safety, but rather a place for appropriate short term
help by an adult for a child. An effective McGruff House program
demonstrates that the community accepts a shared responsibility to watch
out and help out on behalf of all its children.
Volunteers
McGruff volunteers provide
emergency assistance for children as they go to and from school and are
at play in the area.
McGruff House participants do:
- Telephone appropriate authorities
for help
- Reassure and aid children who are
frightened or lost
- Assist children who have medical
emergencies by getting appropriate attention
- Assist those who are in immediate
fear of becoming victims of personal crime or thefts, child abuse,
gangs or bullies; and
- Report crimes and suspicious
activities to law enforcement officials and provide descriptions of
vehicles and suspects where possible
McGruff House participants do not:
- Personally provide first aid
except in extreme emergency situations and then only if qualified
- Act as an escort service
- Assume the role of neighborhood
supervisor
- Enforce laws
- Provide toilet facilities
- Provide a place to "warm up" or
"cool down"
- Provide food or beverages; or
- Guarantee safety
Why McGruff House Works
First, McGruff
McGruff, the Crime Dog, is recognized by 99% of America's children
because they've seen him on television or because he has visited their
school. One in five U.S. families moves yearly; using a symbol
recognized nationwide makes sense.
Second, the McGruff House Program
has built in safeguards against abuses
While it is impossible to guarantee the safety of children in any
program, reasonable precautions have been taken in designing the McGruff
House Program. Adults who volunteer their homes agree to a law
enforcement records check. The distribution of McGruff House Signs is
strictly controlled.
Third, McGruff House is a locally
operated program
It is a service provided by the community for the well being of
children. It is a partnership of local l/font>aw
enforcement, a school or school system, and a community organization.
Fourth, McGruff House is a
nationwide program that represents a partnership among a national
organization, state governments, and local communities.
This partnership enables communities to benefit from the visibility
of the national effort and to join with other communities in
implementing a program with consistent standards, guidelines and
safeguards.
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