Group Advocacy Project Summary The Winter Wonderland event is going to allow parents to drop their children off

so that they can be entertained by knowledgeable education students and staff while the parents will be able to enjoy the arts festivities at Muncies local downtown establishments. Parents will be able to enjoy an evening out without their children and know that they are safe. This event is important for both the parents and children. The event not only allows parents to have an evening without their children free of child care costs, but it also gives the children a safe place to do crafts, play games, watch a movie, and interact with other children and adults. Every week thousands of parents make decisions to leave children home alone while they go to work, run errands, or for social engagements. It is estimated over 40% of children are left home at some time, though rarely overnight, ("Home alone children," 2012). This event allows parents to drop their children off free of charge for the evening so that they do not have to make the decision to leave their children home alone while they attend the local event. According to the U.S. Census, about 7 million of the nation's 38 million children ages 5 to 14 are left home alone regularly. Among the reports key findings: 600,000 five- to eight-year-olds fend for themselves and 3.4 million children are under the care of siblings. The national average "home alone" time is six hours per week, and higher-income parents are more likely to leave kids unsupervised. Statistics also indicate that unsupervised kids are at greater risk of accident and of harm by strangers, siblings, or friends; and are more apt to commit crimes than those under the care of an adult, ("Home alone," 2008).

References Home alone. (2008, May 29). Retrieved from http://www1.umn.edu/news/features/2008f/UR_186972_REGION1.html Retrieved October 7, 2013 Home alone children. (2012, November). Retrieved from http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Famil ies_Pages/Home_Alone_Children_46.aspx Retrieved October 7, 2013