Dear [Recipient Name]: The staff and students of Ivy Techs School of Education are excited to announce that

we will be hosting a Parents Night Out during the Muncie First Thursday events on Thursday, December 5th. We have an exciting Winter Wonderland themed night planned at the downtown Fisher Building for children whose parents are attending the Downtown Muncie events. This event was created because we have a genuine concern for the availability of proper childcare during the First Thursday events. We also understand that many parents in the surrounding area could benefit from a fun night out, all while supporting the community. Leaving children unattended is an important issue that must be addressed. In fact, negligence is the most serious form of danger that the children of Delaware County face today. Proper childcare must be provided during the Muncie Art Walk. A recent U.S Census report showed that 7 million of the nations 38 million children ages 5 through 14 are left at home regularly. According to the National SAFE Campaign, nearly 4.5 children ages 14 and under are injured in the home every year and the vast majority of unintentional injuries occur in the evening hours when children are most likely out of school and unsupervised. The Family Development Resource Center reported that children are most likely to be victims of violent crimes by non-family members between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and that violent juvenile crimes triple between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Now that you understand how important proper child supervision is, help support our cause and make Parents Night Out a success by advertising this event in your business. The event will be hosted on December 5, 2013 at the Fisher Building from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Safe activities and a snack will be provided for children while their parents enjoy Muncies First Thursday festivities. Registration is open to the first 75 children ages 4-12. Please contact Erin Donovan at edonovan2@ivytech.edu for registration forms or for more information about the event. Thank you for considering the safety of the children in our community.

Sincerely,

Ivy Techs School of Education