May 2017

Safe Kids News

Issue

Community & School Events

Highlight Child & Teen Safety

Thanks to our great community partners

who help share the message of safety!

Schools and communities are wrapping up spring with safety events to prepare their students for the summer break. The Lockwood Optimist Club and Mercy Clinic-Lockwood hosted the 4th annual Safe Kids Day for students in Lockwood public and private schools. Over 180 students learned about seatbelt safety, poison prevention, sports safety, fire prevention, and more! Thanks to Dr. Angie Whitesell and her staff, and the Lockwood Optimist Club for coordinating this great event. A number of high schools have been hosting docudramas, assemblies and safety presentations to remind students about the dangers of distracted driving, drinking and driving, and driving under the influence of drugs. Championed by student groups and school administrators, these events have reached hundreds of kids with safety messages as they begin their journey as young drivers. The Webster County Health Department hosted the annual Community Fun & Safety Awareness Day last weekend, featuring a bike rodeo for kids, helmet distribution and a raffle of bikes from their great sponsors.

Dear Safe Kids Friends & Partners: Another school year is wrapping up and we’re already gearing up for summer camps and programs for the fall semester. We never seem to run out of things to say about injury prevention! We’ve just returned from the Cribs for Kids national conference and came back with lots of great ideas to expand our Safe to Sleep programs. There was a lot of discussion about the popular Baby Box phenomena. Join us at this week’s Safe Kids meeting to hear more about the data, safety concerns about the boxes, and other information from the conference. We are excited to be bringing back our Safe Kids Boot Camp for elementary students this summer. In partnership with the Park Board and Chesterfield Family Center, we are able to expand this great camp adventure to include more fun and exciting activities. Be sure to check out the ad in this issue and share with friends and family! Sincerely, Daphne Greenlee, Coordinator

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Kids & Wheeled Sports Safety Car Seat Spotlight

Bike to Work Week Safe Kids Boot Camp

Partner Spotlight Cruisin’ for Cribs

Spot the Tot Latest Recalls

Next Safe Kids Meeting

Wednesday, May 17th

10:00 am

Mercy Home Health

1570 W. Battlefield, Suite 110

Springfield, MO 65807

Baby Boxes—

Are They Safe???

Join us at the next Safe Kids

meeting to learn more about

them and hear updates from

the Cribs for Kids conference

Coordinator’s

Corner

Childproofing BEFORE the Little Explorer Gets Active

Childproofing is an important part of preventing childhood injuries. It isn’t rocket science and it doesn’t require putting your child in a plastic bubble. Most of it is about common sense and supervision to make sure your like explorer is safely gaining independence. Here are a few reminders from Safe Kids Worldwide to make every home a Safe Kids home!

1 Use approved safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs and attach

them to the wall, if possible.

2 Store poisonous items out of reach or use safety locks on

cabinets within reach.

3 Install stops on dresser drawers to prevent them from being pulled all

the way out. Also, be sure to install tethers and

brackets to furniture and TVs to prevent tip-overs.

4 Keep toilet lids closed and use toilet seat locks to prevent

drowning.

5 See the world from a child's point of view. Get on the floor on your

hands and knees so that you are at your child's eye level.

Lebanon Parents As Teachers has been a long-time member of Safe Kids Springfield. For over 7 years, they have shared car seat safety information with their parents, participated in safety fairs, partnered with the local fire department to share fire prevention education, and worked on the safe sleep program. In addition, through their home visits and parent programs, they also discuss home safety hazards and how to keep little ones injury-free! Thanks ladies!

Lebanon Parents As Teachers Educators Debbie Webster, Sherri Nichols, Cassie Mathis, and Pam Jordan.

Member

Agency

Spotlight:

Lebanon

Parents As

Teachers

This article brought to you

by our

partners at:

Car Seat Spotlight: Diono Radian r120 All-in-One

Rainier’s space-saving design allows extra room for passengers while providing a spacious interior for your child. Features:

Full steel alloy frame Energy absorbing EPS foam Unique SuperLATCH system for easy installation Infant support cushions Expandable sides and longer seat bottom Memory foam padding Fits 3 across Folds flat for travel and storage 10 year product life from date of purchase

Capacity Rear-facing 5-45 lb. Forward-facing 20-80 lb Booster up to 120 lb., 57” tall

For more information about Diono car seats, visit http://www.diono.com/

Child Passenger Safety News

For more information, contact State CPS Coordinator, Carrie Wolken, at MoDOT Office of Highway Safety. 800-800-2358 (BELT)

Information provided by our partners at:

To make an appointment for installation assistance, contact the Safe Kids Springfield office

in the Mercy Injury Prevention Center at 417-820-7233

or visit www.safercar.gov/parents to find an inspection station near you.

Q

CAR SEAT CHECKS BY APPOINTMENT

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Call 417-820-SAFE (7233)

to make an appointment

What is the shelf life for a car seat?

Child restraint manufactures have provided expiration dates for their seats. A general recommendation is 6 years, but check your car seat for a specific date. It may be embossed in the plastic or be indicated by a label.

When can I turn my child around to face the

front of the vehicle?

Children are safer when they travel rear-facing. The safest recommendation is to keep the child rear-facing until the child maximizes the weight and/or height requirements of a rear-facing convertible seat. New recommendations are to wait until the child’s second birthday before turning them forward-facing.

How do I know if my vehicle has LATCH?

Read the owner’s manual of your vehicle to see if your vehicle has the lower anchors and tether anchor and where they are located. LATCH equipped positions in vehicles vary by manufacturer.

A &

Travel

Tip

brought

to you

by

Roads are constantly being repaired, flooding occurs, and car crashes happen. How do you know when your route is going to be affected by things on Missouri’s roadways?

The MoDOT Interactive Traveler Information Map is designed to keep you aware of scheduled work-zone construction, flooded or closed roads, and crashes that occurs.

Visit http://traveler.modot.org/map/

Developed by our friends at Primary Children’s

Hospital and Safe Kids Utah, this initiative

teaches families about preventable injuries

that occur in driveways and parking lots when

drivers are unaware that children are near

vehicles. It also provides tips on how to spot

kids and avoid an unintentional frontover or

backover incident.

Our kit includes both a Spot-the-Tot carpet

(indoor) and a Spot-the-Tot mat (outdoor)

version that can be used to demonstrate the

distance needed behind a vehicle to safely see

a child. This distance varies per vehicle.

Before driving, check the street, driveway and area around your vehicle.

Drivers of SUVs and trucks should be extra careful.

Children should be taught not to play in, under or around vehicles.

Supervise children when a driver is leaving the home.

Adjust the driver’s seat as high as needed to see clearly out the rear window.

Roll down windows to hear children.

Adjust side and rear mirrors to reduce blind

spots.

Program

Spotlight: Spot

the

Tot

Top Recalls

Combi Shuttle Travel System Recall date. May 4, 2017

Sold at Amazon.com, Babies R Us.com, Target.com and other online retailers

Reason: seat can disengage from stroller frame posing a fall hazard

Osprey Poco Child Carriers Recall date. April 27, 2017

Sold at REI, specialty outdoor stores and online nationwide

Reason: child can slip through leg opening posing a fall hazard

For additional details, visit

www.recalls.gov