Press Releases

Please read our current press releases on "About the Kids Foundation" and related news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
November 19, 2003
http://www.aboutthekids.

September 10, 2003

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New Foundation Works to Improve Access to Educational Information for Parents and Children

Innovative Free Website Provides Prescreened Information and  Links Parents Can Trust

Los Altos, CA – The About the Kids Foundation has launched an innovative new website designed to benefit children and parents by offering quality educational resources and parenting skills information. In addition to the website, the Foundation has developed a fundraising program to help support schools throughout the country.

"The Internet has become a tool for our everyday lives, but parents and kids need resources they can trust for quality information," said Joseph Ekman, founder of the Foundation. "Many websites give information on math, reading, science and other subjects, but which ones can parents and kids go to and trust for valuable information - not just slick promotions and pop-up ads? For parents and children that are serious about learning, we’ve done the research and developed a resource you can rely on."

Through the Foundation’s website, at www.aboutthekids.org, parents and kids can find a safe place to discover internet links to prescreened, relevant information on educational topics, homework assistance and creative and enriching sites for kids from K-12th grade. Through the Foundation’s pioneering software, by Page Access www.pageaccess.com, parents and children are ensured of being able to return to the Foundation’s website, no matter where they go through a link.

Parents can rest assured that what they and their children see has been extensively prescreened. Website visitors can click on a link without fear of popup ads, automatic site transfers, links of no return, and sales offers. Quality and ease of use are the primary screening criteria.

"How many times have you gone to a website and basically become trapped with no easy way to return? Once you get the information you are looking for from a site we list, it is simple to return to the starting point we provided," added Ekman.

As a fundraising source for schools and parent-teacher organizations, the Foundation has also developed the "Kids Ultimate Online Homework Resource Guide." This book provides a published list of quality educational websites for parents and children. By working with the Foundation, school groups can earn money for their special needs.

"We know that schools are struggling for resources to offer a challenging educational environment for their students. With cuts to school funding across the country, we thought it was important to develop a vehicle that could offer schools some additional funding sources," added Ekman.

Beyond the education information, the Foundation is working on additional issues related to improving parenting skills, children’s medical and safety advice and other useful resources for parents, even a list of the best summer camps for kids. The Foundation’s goal and philosophy is centered on a theme of "Leave No Child Unattended." A future co-parenting journal for families going through separation and divorce is next on the horizon for About the Kids Foundation and its founder.

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Established in January 2003, the mission of the About the Kids Foundation is to provide resources for parents and children to improve the lives of children at home and at school. The Foundation’s website currently contains approximately 7,000 prescreened internet links that provide useful information for parents and kids.

Joseph A. Ekman, founder and president/CEO of About The Kids Foundation, additionally serves as its chairman of the board. Ekman is responsible for the daily operations of the foundation as well as its charitable and educational focus. A father of two girls, Ekman has been involved with child safety issues since 1984, including work on the legislation that banned the use of headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in the state of California. He is the author of the Kids Ultimate Online Homework Resource Guide, and the co-author of Ekman Co-Parenting Journal, both published by Duke Publishing & Software Corporation.

Innovative Co-Parenting Journal Enables Focus on Children's Needs

               Easy-to-Use Journal Provides for Effective Communications Between 

Divorced or Separated Parents

Los Altos, CA  – The About the Kids Foundation has released the first edition of the “Ekman Co-Parenting Journal.”  This first-of-its-kind, long-needed co-parenting tool was developed to help parents maintain effective communications, that are centered around their children’s needs, during the difficult times of divorce or separation.

With more than 40 percent of marriages ending in divorce, it has become more important than ever to provide a tool for separated or divorced parents to use in order to develop and maintain constructive lines of communication regarding their children’s welfare.  While the number of children who are transitioning to single parent homes is concerning, leading experts suggest that this number will continue to grow at an alarming rate.

“I have seen the impact that divorce has on parents and children,” said Bruce Bess, Ph.D. and co-author of the Ekman Co-Parenting Journal.  “Where some families seem to survive divorce with minimal negative impact, other families may experience an impact so severe that their child’s health and safety may be put at risk simply because the parents refuse to communicate.  If we can get parents started on healthy patterns of communication, we believe we can help them establish a more positive and child centered co-parenting relationship.”

The Ekman Co-Parenting Journal is a step-by-step tool to help parents communicate through difficult times.  While courts and mediators often suggest keeping a journal for divorces and separations, the Ekman Journal offers a structured approach, which makes it a valuable tool for parents to share vital information with one another.  By utilizing three-part forms in the Journal, the book provides a consistent form of communication allowing for each parent to maintain their own copy, leaving a third copy in the book for permanent record-keeping and easy access by either parent.  This also provides a check and balance system available for review to ensure that information is being exchanged for the benefit of the children.  By also including forms, which remain in the Journal, for medical, dental and educational information parents will always have vital information close at hand.

“In even the best of circumstances, parents who share custody of their children could benefit from a useful tool to aid in communication,” said Joseph Ekman, co-author of the Journal.  “Whether a child becomes ill and is taking medication or there have been changes to the upcoming schedule for school or extra-curricular activities parents must consistently share important information and this Journal is designed help them in that process.” 

Now available via the Foundation’s website, www.aboutthekids.org the Co-Parenting Journal was co-created by Joseph Ekman, founder of About the Kids Foundation, and Bruce Bess, Ph.D.  Dr. Bess has more than 25 years of experience in the area of clinical psychology with a focus on family law and parenting issues.  In addition Dr. Bess is a court appointed custody evaluator and special master working in the San Francisco Bay Area and has more than 300 family court appointments in the past 15 years.  Mr. Ekman has been involved with child safety issues since 1984, including work on the legislation that banned the use of headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in the state of California.  He is the author of the Kids Ultimate Online Homework Resource Guide.

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Established in January 2003, the mission of the About the Kids Foundation is to provide resources for parents and children to improve the lives of children at home and at school.  The Foundation’s website, powered by PageAccess, currently contains approximately 7,000 prescreened internet links that provide useful information for parents and kids.

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