Home Safety

Emergency Preparedness

  • Get certified in Infant and Child CPR and Choking Relief.
  • Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on your phone and on paper.
  • Make an escape plan in case of a fire in your home with two possible exits. Teach your children what to do when the smoke detector rings and practice.

Set Up a Safe Home

  • Install smoke alarms, test them monthly, and change the batteries yearly​.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors near every sleeping area.
  • Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120ºF.
  • Anchor furniture to the wall and keep furniture away from windows.
  • Keep electrical cords out of reach by blocking them with furniture or covering them.
  • Cover up outlets.
  • Install locks on all cabinets

Set Up Barriers

  • Place gates on stairs until all children can safely climb up and down.
  • Put barriers around space heaters, fireplaces, open fires, campfires, and small appliances.
  • Install openable window guards on second story and higher windows.

Lock Up Dangerous Items

  • Knives, scissors, and other sharp utensils
  • Cleaning Products
  • Medicines and Vitamins
  • Fragrances and cosmetics
  • Poisons or chemicals
  • Matches and lighters
  • Guns (unloaded and with the ammunition separate)

No matter how old your child is, guns should NEVER be left in an accessible area, loaded, or with their ammunition.

Home Safety Habits

  • Watch your child constantly whenever they are near water, including buckets, bathtubs, and the toilet. An adult should always be within arm’s reach when your child is in or near water.
  • Close doors to rooms where your child could be hurt (like the bathroom).
  • Watch your child closely while they are on the stairs.
  • Keep your child away from the stove and turn pot handles on the stove away from you.
  • Empty buckets, pools, and tubs right after you use them.
  • Remind your child that the same safety rules that apply at home apply at other people's homes as well.
  • NEVER leave heavy or hot things on tablecloths that your child could pull over.
  • NEVER smoke in your house or around your children.
  • NEVER leave your child home alone without a mature adult in charge.

Food Safety

  • Cut hot dogs and grapes longways to prevent choking. Choking peaks at 4½.
  • Make sure all meat and eggs are fully cooked.
  • DO NOT give your child raw milk - the bacteria can make them sick.