Ford and Jamie Lee Curtis Call on Congress to Keep Kids Safe

    WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23 In an effort to help keep kids
safe, Ford and award-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis are addressing
congressional members and law enforcement officials at the 6th Annual
Congressional Breakfast & Law Enforcement Awards.

    The event is sponsored by the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children (NCMEC) in honor of National Missing Children's Day on May 25th.
Dignitaries planning to attend include Sen. George Allen, Sen. Mitch McConnell
and Rep. Nick Lampson.

    Congressional and law enforcement officials are being encouraged to
support Ford's Blue Oval Certified "Commitment to Kids" program and create
awareness for the number of children reported missing each day.  The
"Commitment to Kids" program is a nationwide child identification effort and
partnership among Ford Blue Oval Certified dealers, Curtis and NCMEC to keep
kids safe.

    "Missing and exploited children is a serious issue that could impact any
one of us.  If we help to keep safe or locate even one missing child, then
this program will be a success," Curtis said.

    Beginning May 25, parents can bring their children to participating Ford
Blue Oval Certified dealers nationwide to receive free child safety I.D. kits.

    A free photograph will be taken of each child for an I.D. booklet and
instructions will be provided for parents to complete their child's physical
description information.  The I.D. kit and a set of fingerprints can help
ensure a child's safety.  Parents are urged to repeat the I.D. process every
six months, as children grow, to maintain updated information.

    "Blue Oval Certified is a breakthrough initiative that demonstrates our
dealers' commitment to customer satisfaction nationwide while making a
positive difference at the local level," said Dianne Craig, Ford Blue Oval
Certified Program Manager.  "With the help of Congress and law enforcement
officials, the 'Commitment to Kids' program will help our dealers get involved
in raising awareness for child safety in the communities where they do
business."

    According to FBI and NCMEC statistics, more than 750,000 children were
reported missing last year -- more than 2,100 each day -- and 2,896 cases of
online child exploitation were prosecuted in 1999, up 700 from the previous
year.  In the District of Columbia, 3,560 cases of missing children were
reported last year alone.

    "A few minutes on a weekend gives parents precious peace of mind and law
enforcement a valuable tool if a child is lost," said John Walsh, founder of
NCMEC, host of the TV series "America's Most Wanted," and father of an
abducted child.  "Ford's Blue Oval Certified 'Commitment to Kids' program
enables us to reach thousands of communities nationwide with safety I.D. kits
that should be in every parent's hands."

    As part of this day of "Commitment to Kids," Jamie Lee Curtis will record
a special National Missing Children's Day "America's Most Wanted" episode with
Walsh.  The program is scheduled to air Saturday, May 26th on the FOX network.

    After recording on the set of "America's Most Wanted," Curtis is joining
Ford in kicking off the Washington, D.C. dealer program with a "Commitment to
Kids Safety Day" at Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax, Va.  Parents can bring their
children into Ted Britt Ford today from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. for free child
safety I.D. kits.  Curtis will help demonstrate how the "Commitment to Kids"
identification process works and encourage parents to participate.

    "Most our time is centered on taking care of our customers' vehicle needs.
The 'Commitment to Kids' program enables us to branch out and address the
needs of parents and children in our community," said Gardner Britt, President
of Ted Britt Ford.  "Our employees are enthusiastic about their role in the
safety of our community and we are proud to be a part of this special
program."

    As part of its Child Safety Day, Ted Britt Ford certified technicians will
provide each parent with free car safety seat checks and instruction on how to
properly restrain children while traveling in automobiles.

    Ford Blue Oval Certified, the most comprehensive customer satisfaction
program in the auto industry, helps ensure that customers receive a best-in-
class retail experience at Ford dealerships.  Ford Blue Oval Certified dealers
must meet a stringent set of customer satisfaction criteria including a Voice
of the Customer Index as well as other sales, service, concern resolution and
technology requirements.

    More than 3,400 Ford dealers -- over 85 percent -- have achieved Blue Oval
Certification or are in the process of doing so.  Since launching the program,
Ford customers have indicated that they are more satisfied with their dealer
experiences.  Ford's customer viewpoint surveys show customer satisfaction for
2001 is up 5 percent, purchase satisfaction has increased more than 11 percent
and overall service satisfaction is up 2 percent.