Be Child Safe

Category: Child Safety

  • Virginia’s New Car Seat Law Promotes Better Safety for Kids in Car Seats!

    SafeKids Coalition says that Virginia has a new car seat law which promises better safety for children in car seats. Children riding in cars in Virginia must now sit rear-facing in their car seats until they reach the age of 2 years or the maximum weight and height limit called for by the car seat’s manufacturer. Children in a car seat must ride in the back seat (unless the vehicle does not have a rear seat). The Law will be effective July 1, 2019, and is based on recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    All children in any type of car seat must ride in the vehicle’s rear seat. Children younger than 8 years old must ride in a car seat or booster seat. Children ages 8 – 17 must wear an adult seat belt.

    SafeKids has created The Ultimate Car Seat Guide to help parents, family members, caregivers and guardians learn more about car seat safety. This helpful Guide can be accessed at this website: https://www.safekids.org/ultimate-car-seat-guide/

    Parents, family members and caregivers in Virginia can check with their area’s SafeKids Coalition to learn where they can get inspection of their children’s car seat by a certified car seat inspector! Parents can even register their children’s car seats and watch important safety videos on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website: https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#install-inspection.

  • Children Are At Risk Unless You Care!

    Here we are, at the beginning of the new school year all over the Country, and some very disheartening things have happened to children recently, things which should concern  parents, family members, caregivers, and guardians. Things which should make us be more aware of where and with whom we place our children, for their safety and wellbeing.

    You may have read or have seen a video of the police rescuing a small child who was left in a hot car in Seminole County, Florida, for 12 hours, by her parent.Three children who went missing from their home in Dade City were found safe, following an Amber Alert. It was believed that they were abducted by a male parent. Two young girls were killed allegedly by a parent in Colorado–and a pregnant mother and her unborn child were killed. Each of these is a horrific crime–severely punishable according to the statutes of the respective states in which the crimes occurred.  Each of these crimes represents the worst of what can happen to children. And each of these crimes should make family members and caregivers sit up and take notice of where their young children are, who is caring for them when a parent cannot, and determine how responsible the adults are who are caring for their children.

    Watching a child in your care and being present in the moment is first and foremost.  Most parents understand this and are vigilant.  If you are working parents, it is not always possible to be with and monitor your child moment-to-moment. So you make other arrangements, including baby sitters, child day care, pre-school, nursery school, caregivers in your home, or what have you!

    Selecting the appropriate daycare option for your child is a daunting task.  You need to know who the providers are, get references from other parents, possibly do a background check on the organization, and make sure staffing ratio of caregivers to children are good. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a ratio of one adult for every three babies up to 24 months of age is recommended. (We all know that this is not always observed.)  Infants and very young children need more care and more of a caregiver’s time than older children. You want your caregivers to be caring and loving and interact well with your children. If you visit a daycare facility, you would want to see caregivers interacting with children in a positive way. Find out, if you can, what the rate of turnover for caregivers at the facility is; how long have caregivers worked there? Get a commitment from the caregivers you hire that they will be there for a year! Trust your instincts–visit and if you see a daycare is not clean or the children are not well cared for, probably better to check out another place.  Ask questions, what do they do if a child becomes ill, or a caregiver is ill, what are their policies? Do they allow children to nap? Are they given meals and a snack? By all means, ask questions!

    On another topic, If you know because you have witnessed, or you suspect, a child is being abused or is in danger of being abused, SAY SOMETHING!  Call 911! Say something to the authorities, your local police, child protective services or a social services department in your area. Children are our responsibility.  They are the future and we need to keep them safe!

  • Water Safety This Summer!

    Parents and caregivers, Watching kids in the water is important!  Keeping young ones only as far as arms’ length when in or around water is important.  I read it and say it, over and over. To-date, in New Jersey alone, since May there have been 18 drownings. Some  of these drownings were adults, some were children. Some occurred at the ocean, others in ponds or lakes. Some, at swimming pools. All of them, accidental. None of them should have happened. None of them! And their families’ lives are changed forever.

    Recently a 5-year old female child was pulled from a hotel pool in Florida where there are no lifeguards on duty, and she died. Unsupervised swimming is a terrible idea and can easily result in accidental injury or drowning, especially where little ones are concerned. Even if they have good swimming skills, things happen.

    But simply watching and being present in the moment for the children in your care is easily half the battle in keeping them safe. Won’t you be a “Water Watcher” for your kids, whether they are dipping their toes in the ocean or taking a splash in the pool.

    Approved flotation devices are the only ones children should be wearing if they cannot swim! Ducky tubes and pool noodles don’t save lives; Coast Guard-approved flotation devices that fit properly, swimming lessons for children and adults, and parental/caregiver supervision do! Make sure you do all that you can if young children in your care are going swimming and bathing. 

    As a caregiver and water-watching parent, get CPR-certified too! Check with your local Red Cross, fire department, police department or hospital to learn where CPR certification is offered in your community! Often times, the courses are free with a small donation to whatever organization is offering them!  Do it today, you may be glad you did!

  • Virginia’s New Car Seat Law: What You Need to Know

    LAW: This Spring, Virginia’s legislature passed a new, stronger law on child passenger safety, and Governor Northam signed the bill into law. It makes Virginia children safer by requiring them to remain rear-facing in their car seats until they reach age 2 or the minimum weight limit called for by the car seat manufacturer. If your vehicle does not have a back seat, the child may sit in the front passenger seat but only when the passenger seat airbag is deactivated. The law does not apply to taxis, school buses or limousines.The law does not go into effect until 2019, which is why we are providing tips to make it the law in your car now.

    FINE: Break the law and the fine for a first offense is $50.

    WHEN: Virginia’s new car seat law goes into effect on July 1, 2019. But, you can start keeping your toddlers safer TODAY. Keep your small child safer in a rear-facing position.

    WHY: The law is based on current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Infants and Toddlers are “head heavy,” and the rear-facing car seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of smaller children as their bodies are still developing.

    OLDER KIDS: Virginia law is unchanged for older kids. Children 7 years and under must be restrained in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle. An adult seat belt is permissible ages 8-17, and seat belts are required for the driver and all passengers.

    GUIDE: Safe Kids created The Ultimate Car Seat Guide, which is your go-to resource for personalized car seat safety tips based on your child’s age and weight. Check it out and learn what type of car seat is best for your child and tips on how to properly install and fit the car seat. The Guide is now also available en Espanol!

    CHECK IT OUT: You can get your child’s car seat inspected by a certified technician. Contact your local Virginia Safe Kids Coalition to find out how. The federal government also has a feature to find car seat technicians.

    RESOURCES:

    THANKS: Virginia Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) championed the bill with support from Safe Kids Virginia, Children’s National Health System and AAA Mid-Atlantic. Safe Kids’ work on child passenger safety and the Ultimate Car Seat Guide are made possible by General Motors.

    The Law

    This is a link to the new law: https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ful+CHAP0402

  • Kids in Hot Cars: One Child is Too Many

    The National Safety Council has released a groundbreaking report on pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH) titled, Kids in Hot Cars; a Legislative Look Across the U.S.

    On average, 37 children die each year due to PVH1; 42 children died during 2017, alone. All of these deaths were preventable.

    In an effort to better understand and document this risk, NSC works with partner experts, including Jan Null, a certified consulting meteorologist and adjunct professor at San Jose State University. Mr. Null has been tracking child deaths resulting from vehicular heatstroke since 19981, and his work provides the basis for data and information in this report.

    The objective of the report is to:

    • Support stronger laws to protect children from being knowingly left unattended in vehicles
    • Increase awareness and understanding of vehicle heating dynamics
    • Increase awareness of the risk of children gaining access to vehicles on their own
    • Encourage policies for childcare providers
    • Recommend study of factors that contribute to unknowingly leaving a child in a vehicle

    The report also features a first-hand account of a father who lost his beloved daughter.

    Dozens of children die needlessly this way every year, and it can happen to anyone. Please read and share this life-saving information.

    Download the Report Today!

    Additional Resources

    Ten minutes. That’s how long it takes for the temperature inside a vehicle to rise 20 degrees. For children in particular, this increase is enough to result in death.

    Safe Kids Worldwide produced a toolkit that includes a printable tip sheet: Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe from heatstroke. Here are five recommendations:

    • Never leave your child alone in a car, not even for a minute
    • Keep your car locked when you are not in it so kids don’t gain access
    • Create reminders by putting something in the back seat next to your child, such as a briefcase, purse, cell phone or your left shoe
    • If you see a child alone in a car, call 911
    • Set a calendar reminder on your electronic device to make sure you dropped your child off at daycare; develop a plan so you will be alerted if your child is late or a no-show

    Technology Can be Part of the Solution

    NSC backs efforts to use technology to prevent children from being forgotten in vehicles. Without offering an endorsement of any vehicle or product, NSC provides the following information to help parents and guardians protect their most precious passengers:

    Rear Seat Reminder: If a rear door is opened and closed within 10 minutes before the vehicle is started, or is opened and closed while the vehicle is running, five chimes will sound and a message will display on the instrument panel when the vehicle shuts off to remind the driver to check the rear seat. This technology is available on several 2017 GM vehicles.

    Car Seat Technology: This technology generates a series of tones activated through a “smart” chest clip and wireless receiver to remind the driver that a child is in the rear seat within two seconds of turning off the vehicle.
    _______________

    1National Safety Council: Hot Car Deaths

  • CPSC CONSUMER ALERT: CAREGIVERS URGED TO USE RESTRAINTS WITH INCLINED SLEEP PRODUCTS

    U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – News Release

    Release Date: May 31, 2018

    Release Number: 18-171

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is reminding parents: Always create a safe sleep environment for babies in a crib, bassinet, play yard or inclined sleeper.

    In particular, CPSC is alerting consumers to be aware of hazards when infants are not restrained in inclined sleep products.

    Inclined sleep products are bassinet-like products with an inclined back to elevate the baby’s head and torso. There are many different styles of infant inclined sleep products available for infants and newborns. These can include frame-type, semi-rigid and compact inclined sleep products.

    CPSC is aware of infant deaths associated with inclined sleep products. Babies have died after rolling over in these sleep products.

    CPSC, therefore, urges consumers: Always use restraints and stop using these products as soon as an infant can roll over.

    Parents can be surprised and may not know the exact moment their baby first rolls over. Therefore always use the restraint and adjust it to fit snugly to keep the baby face up, with the baby’s face free to breathe when baby is placed in an inclined sleeper.

    CPSC encourages consumers to practice safe sleep always, and be sure to follow manufacturers’ instructions when using these sleep products.

    Caregivers should follow these simple safety steps every time baby is placed down to sleep:

    · Bare is Best: Do not add blankets, pillows, or other items to the sleep environment.

    · Back to Sleep: Always place infants to sleep on their backs.

    · Check www.cpsc.gov to find out if your crib, bassinet, play yard or inclined sleeper has been recalled.

  • A Tragic Day in South Florida Broward County

    February 14, 2018 is a bad day in Broward Co. Florida, a very sad day for Florida in total, and once again for America, for families, educators, students… everyone! It is heart-rending…but that is not enough. There has to be a way to stop this from continuing to happen, to course-correct in an effective way! Too many lives, too many futures, are being lost for nothing and too many families, ripped apart. Is it no longer a priority in our homes to teach children–and all human beings–that life in and of itself is valuable, a gift to be cherished and respected? A newscaster read the list of school shootings since Columbine an hour ago–and I am once again aghast to be reminded how many there have been. It is senseless and a sad commentary on our priorities as a society–we need to reach out to those who are hurting among us and care for them before this happens, we need to stop the bullying of all kinds, we need to check our own speech–and put a guard on our own tongues, we need to re-set our priorities and re-examine the kind of knowledge and thought we are feeding children…what we consider is okay for them to do, to see, to experience and to know! Are we setting the right examples for them to learn to live and to respect life? Are violent movies and video games which show kids how to kill (engendering no feeling of remorse) a good learning tool? Personally, and I’ve said it before, i do not believe so, and in my view, they teach the wrong thing and point in the wrong direction. We need to examine where the anger in kids and young adults is coming from… Have we, adults, given them too many things–and not enough of the right stuff–love, good examples as adults, encouragement, hope for the future? The answers are in your own hearts. Please, please think about it–and don’t stop there…

  • CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for Children’s Folding Chairs and Stools

    Release Date: December 20, 2017

    Release Number: 18-068

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal standard intended to improve the safety of children’s folding chairs and stools.

    The new federal safety standard incorporates the most recent voluntary standard developed by ASTM International (ASTM F2613-17a, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Children’s Chairs and Stools), but limits the scope of the CPSC standard to children’s folding chairs and stools. The mandatory standard contains several requirements for children’s folding chairs and stools, including:

    1. latching and locking mechanism or adequate hinge-line clearance requirements,
    2. rearwards and sideways stability testing, and
    3. warning labels.

    Between January 2003 and August 2017, CPSC received a total of 153 reports of incidents, including 105 injuries, related to children’s folding chairs and stools.

    The most frequent injuries associated with children’s folding chairs and stools include pinching, finger injuries and tip-overs due to instability.

    The effective date for the new mandatory children’s folding chairs and stools standard is six months after the final rule is published in the Federal Register.

    The Commission is required by the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), to issue consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. In the past 7 years, the Commission has approved new federal safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, including full-size cribs, non-full-size cribs, play yards, baby walkers, baby bath seats, children’s portable bed rails, strollers, toddler beds, infant swings, handheld infant carriers, soft infant carriers, framed infant carriers, bassinets, cradles, portable hook-on chairs and infant sling carriers.

    The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to approve the standard on December 8, 2017.

    https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2018/CPSC-Approves-New-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-Childrens-Folding-Chairs-and-Stools

  • Toy Safety for the Holidays 2017

    At no time, are we more conscious of child safety than during this joyous ramp-up to the holidays when gift purchasing and giving is at all-time high. Various websites, including the website for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), call to our attention the incidents and injuries that have parents quaking in their boots: Tip-overs of childhood furniture are still occurring and causing fatalities. The CPSC estimates there were 174,100-toy related emergency department-treated injuries and seven deaths in 2016 to children younger than 15. Riding toys, especially non-motorized scooters were associated with the most injuries and almost half of toy-related deaths (most involved a motorized vehicle).1

    Our government makes a great effort to keep kids safe vis a\ vis toys on the market, and to that end seized 745,000 toys at our ports of entry for violating toy safety standards. Approximately 360,000 toys containing lead in some amount were also seized in 2017. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helped stop dangerous toys from entering the U.S. and from being placed on the market and sold to parents, caregivers and family members of kids.

    As we do each year, we urge parents and those who buy gifts for kids to follow the age-related recommendations on the packaging. Check the label, choose age-appropriate toys. Children under 3 years of age should not have toys with small parts, due to the threat of possible choking if parts become detached. Also please avoid toys with marbles and small balls for children under age 3. If you purchase riding toys, buy the safety gear that goes with them, including properly fitting helmets. Parents need to know that magnets, especially high powered magnet sets, can be dangerous and should be kept away from children under 14, and especially from small children. Young children should not have access to any toy or accessory with button batteries.

    Proper supervision of kids when they use toys is important too. And please report any safety incidents involving toys or other products at www.SaferProducts.gov as soon as possible. Beyond their threat to human life, deaths, injuries and property damage due to consumer product incidents cost our Nation more than $1 trillion annually–and because our children are our most precious asset of all, we continue preach child safety every day of the year! Not just at Halloween and Christmas! But please be especially watchful this holiday season. To report a dangerous product or toy, or injury due to use of a toy or product, go online to www.SaferPrroducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.

    And have a wonderful holiday season!

    1U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Don’t Play With Toy Safety: CPSC Tips for Safe Gifts”, www.cpsc.gov

  • Sudden Deaths of Infants in New Jersey Spur Safety Warnings to Parents

    Recently in New Jersey, three infants died within 40 hours of each other, this spurred child safety leaders to warn parents of common dangers to infants, including those which may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

    The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that the following basic steps can help protect infants:

    • Make sure the baby is sleeping on his or her back and sleeping alone.
    • Keep blankets, stuffed animals and other items away from the sleeping area.
    • Make sure the baby is on a firm surface.
    • Bring the baby into your bedroom but not into your bed.

    While the investigations in all three cases remain open, it is important to remind parents of the dangers of sleeping with infants or keeping infants on sofa surfaces and we further wanted to remind parents that there are resources in the community to obtain cribs and bassinets which are designed for young infants.

    For the full article please see https://patch.com/new-jersey/belleville/3-infant-deaths-essex-county-officials-issue-warning-parents