By Laura M. Nikolovska – KidsInDanger.org
The first week of March marked National Consumer Protection Week, a coordinated campaign that encourages consumers to make better-informed decisions. As consumers, we have both the right and, when it comes to our grandchildren, the responsibility to make informed decisions about our purchases to keep our families safe. Unfortunately, some products aimed at children can pose serious risks to their wellbeing, and keeping track of what is safe and what isn’t can be a challenge. Luckily, there are many resources to help you, as well as a number of consumer-oriented non-profits that make the safety and wellbeing of families their priorities.
Below are some resources and organizations that, like KID, are committed to keeping parents and grandparents informed and helping you make the best decisions to keep your kids safe. Consider bookmarking these sites!
- Safe Kids is committed to reducing the number of childhood injuries by raising families ‘safety awareness.What they can do for you: You can visit cert.safekids.org to learn how to have your car seat checked for proper installation by a local certified child passenger safety technician and ensure your grandchild is safer during their car rides with you.
- Shane’s Foundation is an organization committed to preventing appliance tip-over accidents through safety education and public awareness.What they can do for you: Head over to their site to explore important safety tips and learn how to share their lifesaving message with your family and friends.
- STOP Foodborne Illness. A food safety organization dedicated to raising public awareness about foodborne illness and advocating for better food safety policies.What they can do for you: Visit their website for more information on food safety topics and to sign up for alerts on recalled food and dangerous outbreaks.
- Resource: Parents for Window Blind Safety. FWBS is a nonprofit organization to educating the public about the dangers of window blind cords, advocate for safer standards and tougher product testing, and support parents whose children have been injured or killed as a result of unsafe window cords.What they can do for you: Parentsforwindowblindsafety.org offers more information on safe products and listings of hazardous and recalled products to avoid.
- Illinois Poison Control. They provide access to comprehensive and trusted information and treatment advice on potentially harmful substances.What they can do for you: In addition online safety resources (like the helpful My child ate… chart), they offer a free, confidential 24-hour helpline: 1-800-222-1222. The helpline is staffed by specially trained medical experts, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists
These are just some of the nonprofit organizations that provide parents with resources and alerts online in addition to the product safety information available at KidsInDanger.org. As grandparents and consumers, make use of these in making decisions about what products to buy and what to do in case of an emergency during National Consumer Protection Week and every week throughout the year.
Laura M. Nikolovska – Program Director- Kids in Danger
116 West Illinois Street, Suite 4E Chicago, IL 60654 (312) 595- 0649 laura@kidsindanger.org
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