Proactive, Prevention Programs & Resources to
Educate & Empower Safe, Happy, Healthy Kids
Teaching lessons like Stranger Danger, Social Emotional Learning, Harm Alarm, Car Safety, & Road Safety through music-based prevention programs to protect kids from abduction, abuse, child predators, and serious accidental injuries while instilling self-worth, respect, and manners.
"A Safe & Happy Childhood Lasts a Lifetime!"
Since 1994
Lil' Iguana has created music driven prevention programs to keep kids safe & healthy
Lil’ Iguana provides in school, virtual, community based, and online programming and resources to teach over 20 safety and well-being lessons. Lil’ Iguana also offers courses and workshops for adults on how to teach safety and health at home and in the classroom.
Lil’ Iguana’s programs and products educate and empower children ages 2-10 with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe and healthy in all aspects of their lives. By providing children with a blueprint for safe behavior and decision making, Lil’ Iguana’s goal is to prevent abuse, neglect, abduction and serious accidental injuries while instilling self-worth, respect, and manners.
The Lil' Iguana's Children's Safety Foundation
is 501(c)3 nonprofit children's foundation
The Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation educates and empowers children to be safe, happy, and healthy through music-based programs and resources.
This is achieved through a variety of engaging programs, digital resources, and educational products tailored to meet the diverse needs of children, families, educators, and communities.
Through programs and resources for home and classroom use, Lil’ Iguana strives to instill essential life-saving lessons, promote positive social interactions, and foster a culture of safety and well-being in communities. Lil’ Iguana’s programs are presented in elementary schools, child care facilities, Head Start/Title 1 Centers, and at community events throughout the United States.
With over 20 safety and well-being lessons like stranger danger, seatbelt safety, online safety, friendship, and SEL Lil’ Iguana aims to prevent abduction, trafficking, abuse, and serious accidental injuries while empowering children to lead safe and fulfilling lives.
Lil’ Iguana’s flagship programs include interactive live stage shows, in-classroom presentations, and virtual learning experiences, all featuring the beloved character, Lil’ Iguana. These programs use music, storytelling, role-playing, and interactive demonstrations to teach crucial safety lessons in an entertaining and memorable way. From teaching children about stranger danger to promoting traffic safety, Lil’ Iguana’s programs cover a wide range of topics essential for children’s safety and well-being.
In addition to live presentations, Lil’ Iguana offer a wealth of digital resources accessible for home, classroom, and community use.
The Safety UP! digital membership provides access to an online resource library filled with printable worksheets, lesson plans, videos, and interactive activities. These resources are designed to reinforce the lessons introduced in our programs and facilitate ongoing discussions about safety and well-being.
Lil’ Iguana features a non-threatening approach so children are relaxed enough to listen to the messages, and entertained enough to absorb the information. For over two decades, Lil’ Iguana has become a character that parents have come to trust and children have come to love.
Over 25 Years of Saving Children
Lil' Iguana's History
The Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation (LICSF) was created after concerned parent Jim Tomaszewski realized there was no proactive children’s safety program to keep his young children safe. Galvanized into action with the support of his family, Jim sold his successful marketing and screen-printing company and dedicated his life to teaching young children how to stay safe in today’s intimidating world.
Over the next few years he enlisted the help of numerous early childhood educators and child-care experts to develop a program designed to teach scary topics such as identifying strangers and what to do if approached by a child predator. They discovered that music is the most effective way to teach children, so they developed fun, toe-tapping music to educate children. They also began creating skits to integrate interactive role playing into the program.
Since 1994, the character Lil’ Iguana has evolved but the original mission has remained the same: empower children with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe.
Why Prevention Programs
A strong foundation starts with proactive, prevention measures. Reactive programs are too late to keep a child safe & save a child’s life. Prevention programs initiated early in a child’s life help reduce abuse and accidental injuries, and decrease drug use, alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, while shrinking health care costs associated with these problems.
According to a study funded by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, direct health care of victims of abuse costs the government $24 billion annually. What deserves more attention are the indirect, or long-term, costs associated with the care for these victims, which cost the government approximately $69 billion annually.
A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.
80% of 21-year-olds who reported childhood abuse met the criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
The U.S Center for Disease Control & Prevention links adverse childhood experiences with a range of long-term health impacts.
Child abuse & accidental injuries have no boundaries. They can be found in every socioeconomic class, ethnicity, & religion.
The most abused & neglected age group is newborn to 3 years old.
There are over 740,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S.
Prevention programs initiated early in a child’s life help reduce abuse and accidental injuries, while shrinking health care costs associated with these problems.
More children die every year from preventable injuries than die from all diseases combined.
Accomplishments & Awards
Because of its success, Lil’ Iguana has been featured in national publications and on national programming. The Lil’ Iguana Program has been enthusiastically endorsed by The Massachusetts Safety Officers League, the South Shore Chiefs of Police, Director of the Early Childhood Program at Lesley University Dr. Lisa Fiore, Head Start Programs, and hundreds of schools, child care facilities, police departments, and parenting and mothers groups.
14 - Episode Television Series
Aired Nationally & Won Several Awards
- Emmy Award for Boston/New England Region 1998
- Parents’ Choice Honors Award 1998
- Two (2) Coalition for Quality Children’s Media Awards 1998
- Gold CINDY(Cinema in Industry) Regional Award in Early Childhood Education 1999
- KIDS FIRST! Endorsement 2011
- Massachusetts Broadcaster’s Association Award for Best Children’s Television 1998
- Silver CINDY International Award in Early Childhood Education 2000
- FCC Family Friendly Rating from the Annenberg Foundation
The White House
LICSF has been invited to D.C. on several occasions, including to the White House for the signing of the Amber Alert bill & later to attend the National Conference on Childhood Safety.
Bob's Discount Furniture
Bob & Cathy from Bob's Discount Furniture appear in a Public Service Announcement for the Lil' Iguana's Children's Safety Foundation.
Tall Ships 2000
Radio Disney™ partnered with Lil’ Iguana before a crowd of 400,000 over two days to teach children’s safety at Tall Ships 2000.
Clifton Davis
Actor Clifton Davis appears in an infomercial promoting the Lil' Iguana's Children's Safety Foundation and it's products.
Praise & Support
Since its creation, the Lil’ Iguana program has been used and enthusiastically endorsed by countless agencies & well-known public figures:
- Mayor Tom Menino of Boston
- Massachusetts Safety Officers League
- Boston City Councilman Sal Lamattina
- Senator Judd Gregg of NH
- Actor Kevin Dobson of Kojak and Knot’s Landing
- Hundreds of police departments
- Hundreds of non-profit community organizations and foundations
- Hundreds of schools
- John and Maggie Bish
- Dr. Lisa Fiore, Director of the Early Childhood Program at Lesley University
- Mark Lundsford, Director of Jessie’s Law
- South Shore Chiefs of Police Association
- Actress Mary McDonah of Little House on the Prairie
- Senator Bob Smith of NH
- Child Care Facilities, Parenting and Mothers Groups, Head Start Programs
