May 20, 2022
Kidsafe Victoria E-News May 2022

It has been a big month for the team, culminating in National Kidsafe Day tomorrow (May 24th) and our inaugural Gala Ball on Saturday (May 28th).

On National Kidsafe Day, we’re asking you to #betheonetomakethechange and ensure that we prevent life changing injuries to the children in our lives. Read the stories below about 5 families who never imagined that they would be ‘The One’ to lose a child to a preventable injury, and find out how you can help.

If you aren’t able to attend our ‘Night of Hope’ Gala Ball on Saturday, you can still support us by bidding in the silent auction or donating to help us reach our $50,000 target. Funds raised will support families through our Ambassador Program and The Compassionate Friends Vic.

With winter on the way, now is the time to have your gas heater professionally serviced to prevent carbon monoxide leaks. Don’t forget that hot drinks are the number one cause of childhood burns and scalds, so keep these well clear of little ones – including when you have visitors over.

As always – take care, stay safe, and please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with our latest tips and advice.

 

 

How a normal day turned into tragedy – stories from families who are ‘The One’

We all have hopes and dreams for our children. We hope that they will make friends, fall in love, be successful and build a life of their own, but most of all, we hope that they will be healthy and happy.

In amongst all of these hopes and dreams, you never imagine that your family will be ‘The One’ to be impacted by an unintentional childhood injury…. but what if you were?

Nobody ever thinks that they will be ‘The One’ that loses a child due to a preventable injury, however it’s a reality for 3 families every single week across Australia.

As part of our National Kidsafe Day campaign, we are featuring stories from 5 brave families whose lives changed in a split second. They have lost their children Georgina, Pippa, Hunter, Bella and Blake to incidents such as driveway runovers, drowning, button battery ingestion, and furniture tipovers.

These families and their children are always on our minds. In particular this month, we acknowledge little Blake who would’ve been 10 years old.

Read more in our blog

 

 

Every week, three Australian children die due to preventable injuries

In the lead up to National Kidsafe Day – which is tomorrow on Tuesday 24th May! – we have been highlighting stories from families who have been ‘The One’ to lose a child, to put the spotlight on child injury prevention and the work of Kidsafe.

Kidsafe exists to prevent these tragedies by empowering families with practical strategies and knowledge of how to prevent serious, life-threatening injuries.

But we need your help to #beTheOnetomakethechange and help save the lives of our precious children.

Please help us reach as many parents and carers as possible:

  1. Share a couple of posts or stories from our Facebook or Instagram page for National Kidsafe Day tomorrow
  2. Donate so that we can continue our work to save kids lives from preventable injuries
  3. Share your pledge to #betheonetomakethechange on National Kidsafe Day tomorrow

To hear the stories from families who have been ‘The One’, please visit: https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/about/events/

 

 

We need your feedback on our Ages & Stages fact sheets

Whether you are an expecting or existing parent, a carer or a professional, we would love to get your feedback on our current Ages and Stages Fact Sheets. Your feedback will assist us to make improvements and to ensure the fact sheets are easy to understand and cover all key safety topics for parents and carers.

Please note that the review of these fact sheets is based on the English versions – translated versions are also distributed and available on our website in Karen, Arabic, Khmer, Burmese, Persian, Chinese, Punjabi, Chin (Hakha), Vietnamese and Dari.

Please click on the links below to view the fact sheets then tell us what you think by completing this short survey.

Birth – 9 Months Fact Sheet
9-18 Months Fact Sheet
1 ½ – 3 ½ Years Fact Sheet
3 ½ – 5 Years Fact Sheet

Please share the link to our survey with anyone who may be interested in sharing their thoughts. We appreciate your time and feedback.

Silent Auction for ‘Night of Hope’ Gala Ball

Our ‘Night of Hope’ Gala Ball is only a few days away, and we’re excited to put on a magical night in collaboration with The Compassionate Friends Victoria (TCF) to raise some valuable funds for our Ambassador Program and TCF’s Peer Support Services.

Whether you’ll be joining us or will be a regretful apology, there’s still a way for you to help us raise money and be part of the fun! We’ve been extremely fortunate to receive over 100 donations of items for our silent auction – from amazing stays and experiences to handy vouchers and hampers, there’s something for everyone! The silent auction is hosted on the online platform Givergy, so whether you’re in a ball gown or a dressing gown you can make your bids anywhere.

Even better, the silent auction is open right now until the end of the night on Saturday the 28th of May, so you can get a head start right now to snag your preferred prize. You can check out the prizes and make your bids here: https://www.aus.givergy.com/nightofhope/

You can also get a last minute ticket or make a donation here.

 

 

 

 

New Format for Our E-Newsletter

Thank you for being a subscriber of our monthly e-newsletter and keeping up with all things child safety.

Over the coming months, you’ll notice some changes to our e-newsletter. We will be updating the format to become more tailored – including a journey for professionals and parents and carers – to help ensure that we are providing you with information which is most relevant to your sector or child’s age and stage.

Thanks again for reading, and we hope you’ll enjoy the new format!

 

Upcoming Courses

Accredited Child Car Restraint Training Courses – Book Here

  • Next available:
  • 6th-7th June (Notting Hill)
  • 22nd-23rd June (Niddrie)

Paediatric or Perinatal First Aid Training Courses – Book Here

  • 4th June – Paediatric First Aid – Bendigo
  • 4th June – Perinatal First Aid (New and Expectant Parents) – Bendigo
  • 11th June – Perinatal First Aid (New and Expectant Parents) – Melbourne (Royal Children’s Hospital – Parkville)
  • 18th June – Paediatric First Aid – Ringwood (The Sebel Hotel)
  • 18th June – Perinatal First Aid (New and Expectant Parents) – Clayton (Park Royal Hotel)
  • 25th June – Paediatric First Aid – Melbourne (Royal Children’s Hospital – Parkville)

7th June – Live Zoom classes on Paediatric First Aid


If you’re a professional interested in booking an accredited first aid training session, please visit: https://www.growthtraininggroup.com.au/kidsafe-victoria/

 

 

 

What’s In the News

9 News – Crash Lab Reveals Importance of Installing Car Seats Correctly
ABC News – Nevaeh Austin, Toddler Left on Childcare Bus For Six Hours in Gracemere Released From Hospital
Mirage News – Drive So Others Survive – National Road Safety Week
9 News – Sydney Researchers Make ‘World-First Breakthrough’ in Preventing SIDS
7 News – Co-Sleeping Warning After Tasmanian Coroner Releases Findings Into Death of Baby Girl
WA Today – Devastated Family to Turn Off Life Support for Perth Boy Injured in Construction Site Fall
The National Tribune – ACCC Seeking to Reduce Topping Furniture Dangers

 

 

 

 

Product Recalls

 

Peter Alexander Sleepwear Pty Ltd – Cream Baby Llama Bootie

The pom poms on these baby booties are not adequately secured, and if detached they may pose a choking or suffocation hazard.

For more information please click here

 

 

 

 

HushBabyAu – Wooden Rattle Teether

This wooden rattle does not comply with mandatory shape and size requirements, and may pose a choking hazard if placed in a child’s mouth and used as a teether.

For more information, please click here

 

 

 

 

 

Sun Bum Pty Ltd – Baby Bum Mineral SPF50+ Sunscreen Lotion

This children’s sunscreen may contain levels of the chemical benzene above the acceptable limit, due to unintentional contamination during the manufacturing process. Adverse health effects can be linked to benzene depending on duration of exposure or amounts used. Consumers should stop using this product immediately.

For more information, please click here

 

 

The Baby Shop – Children’s Character Slap/Snap Watch

The button battery compartment on these watches may not be adequately secured, and may cause serious internal burn injuries if a child were to gain access to the compartment and swallow the battery.

For more information, please click here

 

 

 

To keep up to date with all product recalls , you can sign up to receive email notifications on the Product Safety Australia website and follow ACCC Product Safety on Facebook.