The Lawn Greetings Association realizes that everyone has a responsibility to keep infants and children safe from abductions and predators; however we must use good judgment in the information dispensed to expectant parents, as not to frighten them with unsubstantiated facts.

It is true that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does briefly warn parents of about the use of outdoor announcements. They also spend a lot of time warning parents about the possibility of a baby abduction occurring within the hospital.

According to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children there have been 250 reported cases of non-family infant abductions between the years 1983 to 2007. These figures from the N.C.M.E.C. are based on a 24 year period, with over 100 million births! In the US in 2007 there were 2 infant abductions that occurred in a hospital and only one that occurred from the home. Statiscally an infant abduction is twice as likely to occur in the hospital than in your own home.

After extensive research, our association has yet to find any factual statistics which proves that an infant abduction was a direct result of having a lawn sign, stork announcement, or other birth announcement in the yard. Not even baby Abby was a direct result because of a lawn announcement. The abductor in this case had been watching the mom to be for several weeks.

Unfortunately, there are dangerous people lurking within society and if they’re bound and determined to steal a child, they’ll do so whether or not there is an announcement in the newspaper, a photo gallery on the parents’ or the hospital’s web site, a baby registry a the local baby store, a sign in the yard, a car seat in the car, a stroller on the porch, or any children toys in the yard. Are we to become so frightened women hide their pregnancy, avoid obstetricians offices, not register at retail stores for baby gifts or even buy clothing at a maternity store?

Our businesses are based on celebrating a person’s special time in their life by fun and joyful means in an otherwise sullen society. It is an honor to be a small part of these wonderful and miraculous events, a stork lawn sign in the yard is a great way to welcome mom and baby home, and to share the news with neighbors and friends.

Lawn greetings can, in fact, alert the neighbors to be more aware, much like Neighborhood Watch signs or Baby on Board emblems on vehicles. Neighbors often know when a family is expecting a child; a birth announcement in their yard alerts the neighbors when the child arrives so those neighbors can keep an extra eye out for the family. The chance of an abduction being caused by a sign in the yard is so insignificant that pointing a finger at our trade would be unjustified and could unnecessarily damage the lawn greetings industry.

The Lawn Greetings Association can only urge the new parents to consider the facts and carefully decide whether to share their pride of becoming a parent. No matter what decision they may make regarding a baby announcement sign we urge them to make every effort to show their children that the world is filled with love, beauty and goodness.

Thank you for letting the Lawn Greetings Association state our voice in this matter.

Best wishes to all!

Karin