Be Sure Your Child Care
Setting Is As Safe As It Can Be
About 31,000 children,
4 years old and younger, were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries
at child care/school settings in 1997. Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware
of at least 56 children who have died in child care settings since 1990.
In a recent national study,
Consumer Product Safety Commission staff visited a number of child care settings
and found that two-thirds of them had one or more potentially serious hazards.
Use the safety tips in this checklist to help keep young children safe.
Child Care Safety Checklist
for Parents and Child Care Providers
Cribs
Make sure cribs meet current national safety standards and are in good condition.
Look for a certification safety seal. Older cribs may not meet current standards.
Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8" apart, and mattresses should fit snugly.
This can prevent strangulation
and suffocation associated with older cribs and mattresses that are too small.
Soft Bedding
Be sure that no pillows, soft bedding, or comforters are used when you put babies
to sleep. Babies should be put to sleep on their backs in a crib with a firm,
flat mattress.
This can help reduce Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation related to soft bedding.
Playground Surfacing
Look for safe surfacing on outdoor playgrounds - at least 12 inches of wood chips,
mulch, sand or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like
materials.
This helps protect against
injuries from falls, especially head injuries.
Playground Maintenance
Check playground surfacing and equipment regularly to make sure they are maintained
in good condition.
This can help prevent
injuries, especially from falls.
Safety Gates
Be sure that safety gates are used to keep children away from potentially dangerous
areas, especially stairs.
Safety gates can protect
against many hazards, especially falls.
Window Blind And Curtain
Cords
Be sure miniblinds and venetian blinds do not have looped cords. Check that vertical
blinds, continuous looped blinds, and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices
to hold the cords tight.
These safety devices can
prevent strangulation in the loops of window blind and curtain cords.
Clothing Drawstrings
Be sure there are no drawstrings around the hood and neck of children's outerwear
clothing. Other types of clothing fasteners, like snaps, zippers, or hook and
loop fasteners (such as Velcro), should be used.
Drawstrings can catch
on playground and other equipment and can strangle young children.
Recalled Prouducts
Check that no recalled products are being used and that a current list of recalled
children's products is readily visible.
Recalled products pose
a threat of injury or death. Displaying a list of recalled products will remind
caretakers and parents to remove or repair potentially dangerous children's toys
and products.
For more information about
childrenšs safety and recalls of childrenšs toys and products, contact:
U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission
Washington, DC 20207
Toll-free hotline: 1-800-638-2772
Web site: www.cpsc.gov (Go to
Recalls/News)
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