Vodafone has now introduced a mobile communications guide for parents containing information about the safe and practical use of mobile phones. The brochure is called "Stay in contact with your child" and it's available at all the German Vodafone Shops or as a download from the website. It shows parents and children the benefits of mobile communication and sensitises them to its responsible use.

The new brochure is another of Vodafone's contributions to the protection of children and young people, an action field where it has always been a pioneer. The parents' guide provides a logically structured and easy to understand explanation of mobile communications applications. The objective is to inform parents about the many different functions available in mobile phones and to provide advice on the practical and safe use of these functions.

"Children and young people grow up with mobile phones today and they're familiar with all the options that mobile communication offers them," explained Friedrich Joussen, Vodafone Germany's CEO. "It's important that parents talk to their children about the responsible use of their mobile phones. Our guide helps them to do this." Vodafone has already initiated many youth protection measures and will continue in future to offer products and services that enable the safe use of mobile phones by children and young people.

The brochure explains how to control mobile communication costs, as well as the functions of mobile phones, special services and games for children and young people. It also includes advice on the safe use of the internet, with a detailed explanation of how to prevent children from accessing adult content.

Parents can also keep track of their children's mobile phone bills with the CallYa Junior Card.It enables parents to give their kids monthly 'mobile phone pocket money'. At the beginning of the month, either EUR 10, 25 or 50 is debited from the parents' bank account and credited to the child's CallYa Junior account. One major advantage of the CallYa Junior card is that calls to the parents' main card are free of charge, so children can call their parents from school or wherever they are, even if they have used up all their prepaid credit.