Helping children protect themselves is a joint effort of adults and children. Most of the responsibility is on the adult to protect the child. Childcare providers may educate parents about the grooming process of offenders. This means explaining how offenders befriend a family and seek situations where they can have secrecy with a child.

Some excellent tips for keeping children safe:

• Childcare providers and parents need to know how to screen caregivers and ask questions to help ensure their child’s safety.

• Teach and reminded children that their body belongs them. This means NO ONE is allowed to touch their private parts except if a doctor needs to look at them and a parent is present.

• Explain to parents that both adults and children have to have the understanding that, “In our family, we don’t keep secrets.” In cases when children are unsafe, the perpetrator is looking to develop secrecy with a child. No secrets allowed.

• Children should have a home and family in which they know they can tell their parents or caregivers about any worries, fears or concerns without being punished and that no matter what, their caregivers will always love them. Encourage children to have open communication with parents and other trusted adults.

Additional safety tips for school age children:

Child care providers that care for older children should teach the following:

• Don’t travel alone. Take a friend, or two, or three. The more the merrier and the safer!

• When in doubt about an adult in your company, say “no” and flee to tell a safe adult.

• Children don’t have to be polite or obedient to any adult that is asking them or telling them to do something they don’t think is right. Teach children that if they feel uncomfortable, they must pay attention to that feeling. Teach children they have permission to say “no.”

• Walk with head up high, eyes looking around, and carry something in your hand that can be used for defense.

• Children should always let their parents know where they are and with whom. Children should check in on the phone every few hours if they are away for a long time.

The children in your care should k now how to locate “safe” adults. Teach young children to look for a woman or a mom. If they can’t find a mom, they should find someone wearing a nametag.

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2009 High Chair Recalls:

April 2009: Evenflo Recalls Envision High Chairs Due to Fall and Choking Hazards manufactured by Evenflo Company Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio, 643,000 units. “Recline fasteners and metal screws on both sides of the high chair can loosen and fall out, allowing the seatback to detach or recline unexpectedly. Children can fall backwards or fall out of the high chair and suffer bumps and bruises to the head, abrasions, cuts and bruises. Detached hardware also poses a choking hazard to children”.

April 2009: Evenflo Expands Recall of Majestic High Chairs Due to Fall and Choking Hazards, Manufactured by Evenflo Company Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio 90,000 units (95,000 were recalled in December 2008). “Plastic caps and metal screws on both sides of the high chair can loosen and fall out, allowing the seatback to suddenly fall back or detach from the high chair. Children can fall backwards or fall out of the high chair and suffer bumps and bruises to the head, broken bones, abrasions, cuts and bruises. Detached hardware also poses a choking hazard to children”.

March 2009: Fisher-Price Recalls 3-in-1 High Chairs Due to Fall Hazard, manufactured by Fisher-Price, of East Aurora, N.Y. 24,000 units were recalled.” The seat can fall backwards from high chair frame if the booster seat release is unlatched while the child is in the product. Also, the seat back can detach if not fully snapped in place, posing a fall hazard and risk of serious injury to young children”.

2009 Stroller Recalls

August 2009: Baby Jogger City Mini Strollers Recalls Strollers Due to Fall Hazard, manufactured by Baby Jogger LLC, of Richmond, Va., 41,000 units recalled. “The stroller’s restraint buckle could break or unlatch allowing the child or infant to fall out”.

June 2009: Bugaboo Recalls Strollers Due to Risk of Brake Failure, Bugaboo Bee Strollers manufactured by Bugaboo Design & Sales, B.V., of the Netherlands. 22,500 units were recalled. “One or both sides of the brakes can fail, causing a stroller to unexpectedly roll away on an incline. This can pose a risk of injury to the child occupant”.

Parents and child care providers MUST check with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list which can be found at cpsc.gov. You can even sign up to be on an email list which will inform you of current recalls. They continually update the recall list, so be sure to check frequently for recalls on toys, cribs, and daycare equipment. Depending on the severity of the recall, the manufacturer might mail kits with parts to repair faulty products.  Sometimes consumers are told to take the product back to where they were purchased for refunds, store credits or replacement items.

Strollers and high chairs are an expensive investment for a daycare business. However it is an investment that is essential for licensed daycare providers that care for infants. Be aware that if you must buy used strollers or high chairs for your daycare center it is imperative that you check against the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list to be sure the crib has not been previously recalled.

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Parents and child care providers MUST check with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list which can be found at cpsc.gov. You can even sign up to be on an email list which will inform you of current recalls. They continually updated the recall list, so be sure to check frequently for recalls on toys, cribs, and child care equipment.

Depending on the severity of the recall, the manufacturer might mail kits with parts to repair faulty products. Sometimes consumers are told to take the product back to where they were purchased for refunds, store credits or replacement items.

2009 Crib Recalls

In order to reduce the risk of injury or even death of children in your care, it is important to take note of the following crib recalls so far in 2009. All information is taken directly from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website:

January 2009: Stork Craft Baby Cribs, Mattress Support Bracket Failures Create Risk of Entrapment and Suffocation, Manufactured by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada, 535,000 units. “The metal support brackets used to support the crib mattress and mattress board can crack and break. When one or more support brackets break, the mattress can collapse and create a dangerous gap between the mattress and crib rails, in which a child can become entrapped and suffocate”. Some have the Fischer Price logo on them.

April 2009: SunKids Convertible Cribs recalled by Suntech Enterprises Due to Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards, Suntech Enterprises Inc., of City of Commerce, Calif., 1900 units. “The sides of the crib are made of mesh that expands, creating a gap between the side and the crib’s mattress if it’s not zipped into place, or a gap between the side and an added mattress. A young child can slip into this gap and become entrapped or suffocate. Also, the crib’s drop side can fail to fully latch posing a fall hazard to young children”.

April 2009: Jardine Announces Second Recall Expansion of Cribs Sold by Babies’R'Us; Cribs Pose Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards. Jardine Cribs, Jardine Enterprises, of Taipei, Taiwan, About 96,000 (320,000 units were previously recalled in June 2008 and 56,450 units were recalled in January 2009). “The wooden crib slats can break, creating a gap, which can pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard to infants and toddlers”.

June 2009: LaJobi Recalls Bonavita “Cabana” Drop Side Cribs Due To Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards, Bonavita “Cabana” Drop Side Cribs, LaJobi Inc., of Cranbury, N.J., 2000 units. “The wooden crib slats can detach or break creating a gap, which can pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard to infants and toddlers”.

June 2009: LaJobi Recalls Babi Italia Pinehurst and Bonavita Hudson Drop Side Cribs; Risk of Entrapment and Suffocation. Bonavita “Hudson” and Babi Italia “Pinehurst” Drop Side Cribs, LaJobi Inc., of Cranbury, N.J., 2900 units. “The lower spring pins on the footboard and headboard can pop out of the tracks located on the drop side causing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a hazardous gap between the drop side and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become entrapped and suffocate or fall from cribs”.

July 2009: Simplicity Drop Side Cribs Recalled by Retailers Due to Risk of Death from Suffocation. Simplicity Drop Side Cribs, Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa., 400,000 units. “The crib’s plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation”.

Cribs are an expensive investment for a daycare business, However it is an investment that is essential for licensed daycare providers that care for infants. Be aware that if you must buy used cribs for your daycare center it is imperative that you check against the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list to be sure the crib has not been previously recalled.

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