I’m going to share this week’s email in its entirety, as it comes from the team behind BizParentz.org, a non-profit child actor advocacy organization that has done a ton of work on behalf of kid actors (a population from which I come) and their parents.
Guys, laws that protect kids from predators are GOOD things. A simple background check that is required of any other group of folks who work with kids is a no-brainer, where young actors are concerned.
I’ve had to be fully vetted before volunteering with *several* kid-focused organizations and it’s NOT that big a deal. But it IS an extra step, and it’s one that helps keep pedophiles a little bit farther away from their potential victims.
If you support this bill, please visit the BizParentz website and become a part of this positive change! Thank you, Anne and Paula, for putting this on my radar, and for being a champion for kid actor rights and protections!
Hey Bonnie.
We know you’re always interested in and supportive of child actor issues in the industry. As you know, there’s been a lot of public talk recently about child predators, namely pedophiles, in our society. Many people did not know how common and real this problem is. Sadly, we did know it about the child actor community. There have been multiple arrests and convictions, and we know that there are many crimes committed that never even get reported.
We are proud to announce a new bill in the California legislature: AB 1660.
This bill will require a permit for some service providers who work with child actors. In order to obtain the permit, a background check and fingerprinting will be required. This will finally allow the professional acting children to have the same protections that children in scouts and little league have.
Although the entertainment industry is filled with many respectable, professional people, there are areas totally unregulated that easily allow less-than-professional people access to children.
Please visit our page about the bill, which has links to the language, a sample support letter, and a few of the abuse cases that were publicized in the news. Thank you in advance for your interest and support.
Paula Dorn and Anne Henry
BizParentz.org
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001485.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.