April has been another busy month with lots of activities, programs and events taking place.

Our ‘Safe Seats, Safe Kids’ program is going strongly, with around 25-30 free child car restraint fitting and checking days operating at locations across Victoria each week. We welcomed Steve McGhie, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and local MP for Melton, to our checking day at the Bridge Road Children’s and Community Centre this month, to see the difference the program is making to attendees.

We were thrilled to receive a grant from Greater Shepparton City Council to support the Hunter Boyle Children’s Swim Program. This means over $40,000 has been raised, which will provide kids with access to free swimming lessons in the Shepparton area.

National carbon monoxide (CO) awareness week begins on Monday 3rd May. We are feeling the cold in Melbourne these days, so if you haven’t had your heater serviced, then now is the time to do so.

Happy reading and stay safe! Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page to keep up to date with our latest tips and advice.

 

Updated Child Car Restraint Guidelines

Do you know how to correctly install your child’s car restraint, or how to adjust it to fit them properly for every trip?

Despite high levels of child car restraint use in Australia and one of the most stringent child car restraint design standards in the world, approximately 40-70 children are killed on Australian roads each year.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that over 70% of child car restraints are incorrectly fitted and used, placing children who travel in these child car restraints at risk every day.

This March, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and Kidsafe Australia released an updated version of the Child Restraint Best Practice Guidelines, to help keep our precious cargo safe on the roads. The guidelines, which are approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council, provide recommendations and advice on how to choose a suitable restraint, the transitions you may need to make as your child grows, the use of adult seat belts and what to do when using alternative means of travel, such as rideshare services and public transport.

There are things we can all do above and beyond the minimal legal requirements, to help ensure our kids make it home safe and sound.

For more information on the Best Practice Guidelines and what you can do to help ensure your children are travelling safely on every trip, please visit Kidsafe Australia’s website: https://kidsafe.com.au/crguidelines

 

Do You Have a Silent Killer in Your Home?

We look around our homes, spot any potential hazards and then take action to remove or restrict access to them so no harm comes to our child.

But what if there is a danger that you can’t see, smell, or even taste?

Read about an invisible danger and what you can do to keep your family safe, in this month’s blog.

 

National Burns Awareness Month – Grants Program Open

To encourage organisations to get involved in National Burns Awareness Month, Kidsafe Australia is offering small grants up to $1,000 to support organisations to deliver a project to promote burns prevention and/or burns first aid during the month of June.

Grants can be utilised to implement media activities, develop and distribute educational materials, centre displays, run a first aid course for your organisation and any other relevant programs or activities that promote burns awareness in the community. Both digital and in-person activities or events are eligible for funding.

Don’t miss out! Applications close on Friday 7th May at 5.00pm AEST.

For further information or to apply for a grant please visit: https://kidsafe.com.au/national-burns-awareness-month-grants/

 

Farm Safety Competition – New Early Childhood Category Open

We are excited to announce a new ‘Early Childhood’ category for the smaller kiddies as part of our Farm Safety Creative Competition.

For the first time, we are inviting all Victorian children aged 3 to 5 years to gather their craft materials, get thinking about farm safety and create a collage based on this year’s theme, ‘Think Farm Safe, Be Farm Safe’.

Not only will children get to learn about the importance of keeping safe on the farm by participating, there are also fantastic prizes available for winning entries!

To find out more details about the competition and how your early childhood service or little one can become involved , please download the Early Childhood Pack.

 

What’s In The News

Grieving parents honour drowned toddler Hunter Boyle by funding children’s swimming lessons
The nine things to look for when you’re buying a family car
Mum’s warning about ‘Instagram inspo’ nursery set-ups: ‘Broken glass everywhere’
Gone for 13 minutes – then my boy came back to life
Drownings up 30 per cent in COVID summer
Look, don’t touch – Poisonous mushrooms set to bloom across Victoria this autumn
Almost 20 kids under five poisoned by liquid nicotine in past three years, figures show
Bring driveway dangers out of blind spot

 

Product Recalls

 

 

Kogan Australia Pty Ltd – 4 in 1 Baby Walker & Trike | 6 in 1 Baby Walker & Trike

These strollers do not meet mandatory safety standards and the locking mechanism can be easily operated by children, which could cause injury if the stroller was to tip or collapse.

For more information please click here.

 

 

 

LoveHallina – Baby Wooden Rattle Teether

These rattles fail to meet mandatory shape and size requirements, and may pose a choking or suffocation hazard for children.

For more information please click here

 

 

 

 

 

eBay Seller airmxnf211 – 1 Set Newborn Baby Rattles | Shaking Bell Grab Music Toys | Teether Early Education

The products that come in this pack do not meet mandatory shape and size requirements, and may pose a choking or suffocation hazard for children.

For more information please click here.