The Ministry of Emergency Situations has launched a new information campaign 'Be Close to Your Child!'

Cases of child fatalities and injuries are recorded in our country annually. Often, the decisive factor in the occurrence of such incidents is the lack of adult supervision. Sometimes, appeals do not yield the desired results, remain unheard, and parents, in turn, pay little attention to teaching children basic safety rules. But worse, they sometimes set an example of unsafe behavior themselves.

To once again draw parents' attention to the existing social problem, employees of the Research Institute of Fire Safety and Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus have approached this issue on a large scale and created a new information campaign "Be Close to Your Child!", the implementation of which will become a new approach to solving this difficult task.

To interest and involve parents in teaching children safety, organize their useful leisure time, change previous views, and help them realize the necessity and importance of this process – this is how the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees see the implementation of this campaign. To influence parents' careless attitude towards children's safety issues, to motivate them not to leave children unattended – this is the main goal of the information campaign.

Many parents believe that a child can be left alone at home even for a few minutes, especially with a phone, as there is an opportunity to contact them at any moment. And to keep the child entertained, cartoons, games, or videos can be played on the gadget. Thus, they will be under their control and safe. But this is a misconception. Parents forget the most important thing: at the moment of a threat, a phone call cannot protect and save a child from danger.

A new information campaign aimed at preventing child deaths in fires and at water bodies will be launched across the country in August. It is based on the established notion of a parent monitoring their child by phone and demonstrates situations where a child is in danger, and the parent can only call but not help. At the same time, when creating outdoor advertising, there is no depiction of a child in immediate danger. Their role is taken over by a child's smartphone. It is the phone that ends up at the epicenter of the tragedy. This is where the main idea lies: behind the seemingly bright picture – the phone, which has replaced the child everyone assumes is there – lies a very important message, revealed in a concise slogan. "A phone will not watch over your child!" – this phrase, combined with the visual, fully illustrates the consequences of an irresponsible attitude towards child safety. It is precisely the catchy slogan combined with an unconventional image that is the most potent and effective way to "hold" the target audience's attention on the raised issue and call them to action.

It should be noted that the success of the project depends on many factors, which is why the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees approached it with a grand scale – a complete brand package has been created, all aimed at drawing parents' attention to child safety.

To ensure the widest possible reach of the information campaign, bright billboards will be placed in the vicinity of settlements. Leaflets with useful information will fill the internet space and update stands in all public places across the country. Original booklets with safety rules for moms and dads, appearing as notifications on a simulated phone screen, will become the main tool for EMERCOM employees during campaign events. The brochure "Safety Encyclopedia for Parents," designed in watercolor graphics style, will illustrate in an accessible way all sorts of dangers that may await children both outdoors and at home. This type of visual and illustrative product will help reinforce the acquired knowledge for visitors of safety education centers, as well as for parents attending presentations by EMERCOM employees in work collectives.

Thus, rescuers will reach the maximum target audience and strive to connect with every parent – urging them not to leave children unattended, to stay close to their child to prevent potential tragedies, and to teach them safety rules.

Don't stay aside either: join the campaign and ensure a safe childhood for your children!