We are excited to bring you the November edition of Kidsafe Victoria’s e-news, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Kidsafe! To mark the occasion we held a breakfast at the Hotel Windsor to thank our many partners, ambassadors, volunteers, stakeholders and families who have been touched by Kidsafe over the years. You can read more about the event below, as well as some information on driveway safety, children left unattended in cars as we move into the warm summer months and the latest product recalls. Have fun and stay safe – and if you are lucky enough to have a pool at your house, remember children require active adult supervision around water at all times.

What does 40 Years of Kidsafe look like?

Kidsafe Australia was founded in 1979, a year when the average wage was $149, Sony released the first Walkman, McDonald’s introduced the “Happy meal”, Carlton downed Collingwood in the VFL grand final and the cost of a litre of milk was $0.30.

Kidsafe was established to focus the attention of policy makers and the community at large on the need for improved child safety measures.  In 1979 there were 705 child deaths as a result of  unintentional and often preventable injuries. To put it in perspective, that’s equivalent to a full A380 plane of our previously healthy children, who died from ‘accidents’ such as drowning, falls, car crashes and choking.

Since Kidsafe’s establishment, the number of children in Australia killed by unintentional injury has reduced by over 60% to 170 deaths each year.  However,  this is still over 3 children a week losing their lives to preventable injuries.  Put simply, that’s 3 lives too many.and 3 families who go home without their previously healthy child.

Through partnerships with government, local councils, community organisations, industry and other not for profit groups, we have helped save the lives of thousands of children by empowering families and carers with evidence-based, practical strategies and knowledge on how to keep their children safe.

Pictured: A/Prof Warwick Teague, Direct of the trauma service at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Steve Dimopoulos MP, The Hon Jenny Mikakos Minister for Health; Melanie Courtney; Kidsafe CEO, Erica Edmands, Kidsafe President and Matt Welsh, OAM.

To celebrate our achievements over the past 40 years and acknowledge those who have supported our vision of making a safer world for kids, we held a celebratory breakfast at Hotel Windsor on the 19th of November. We were joined by the Minister for Health, the Hon Jenny Mikakos, the Director of Trauma Services at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Warwick Teague, as well as advocates, partners, volunteers, friends and families.

To view more photos from our 40th anniversary event please see our Facebook Album

While we are extremely proud of our achievements over the past 40 years, injury is still the leading cause of death in Australian children aged 1-14 years. We know we have made a real difference to Australian families; we know our work saves lives – however, there is still much to be done.

We welcome your support to help us achieve our vision for a future free from childhood injury and death, so that children can become happy, active adults.

How can you help?
>Share our resources with friends, family and loved ones.
> Like us on Facebook and Twitter receive important updates
>Take time to perform a safety audit on your home and homes where your children visit.
>Make a tax deductible donation to Kidsafe Victoria

Kidsafe Vic would like to say a special thank you to Fretzy Kookie for providing us with these amazing cookies and to The Cheesecake Shop Melbourne City for providing us with this fantastic cake for our 40th anniversary! They not only looked great, but they were delicious too!

Without the support of local businesses like these, our 40th event would not have been possible.

Kidsafe Victoria and Neighbourhood Houses Victoria to provide FREE Car Restraint Checks

Kidsafe Victoria and Neighbourhood Houses Victoria are excited to announce that in partnership they will be delivering the State Government of Victoria’s free child restraint checking program. Officially launched in December and then continuing to be rolled out from January child restraint checking events will be held at designated Neighbourhood Houses across the State.

To register your interest for a free child restraint check, click here and fill in the form. We will then contact you when we have an update about an event in your local area.

The sun can turn your car into an oven in just minutes

Monash Children’s Hospital is the latest organisation to partner with Kidsafe Victoria as part of the campaign, installing ‘Do Not Leave Children In Cars’ signs in prominent positions throughout their hospital car parks, as a visual warning for all visiting families, to always take children with you when you leave a vehicle.

Leaving children unattended in a car, even for a short period of time, can be fatal.  Did you know that the temperature inside a parked car can be 20-30 degrees hotter than outside, with the majority of the temperature rise occurring in a matter of minutes?

That means that on a typical summer day, the temperature inside a parked can easily reach over 60 degrees, which can be fatal for children.  They are particularly at risk because they can lose fluid quickly, become dehydrated and suffer from heatstroke.

For more information on this issue, including  videos, fact sheets and an order form for signs please click here

Driveway safety – ‘Don’t go if you don’t know’

Driveways can be dangerous places for children – they are designed to provide cars and other vehicles with access to a property, which means that they pose the same dangers as roads.

On average, every year 7 children aged 0-14 years are killed and 60 are seriously injured due to driveway run over incidents in Australia.

In the second half of 2019 there have been a number of driveway run over incidents involving children. These incidents have a devastating effect on families and communities.

Children are at increased risk around driveways – they are unpredictable, naturally inquisitive, as well as being surprisingly quick and mobile. Their small size, together with the large blind spots behind most cars, means that children standing or stepping behind the vehicle often cannot be seen from the driver’s seat.

While reversing sensors and cameras can help to reduce blind spots, they should never be relied upon on their own to keep children safe. Even if the vehicle is fitted with parking sensors or a reversing camera, children may not be noticed until it is too late to stop.

To help keep your driveway Kidsafe, make sure you always Supervise, Separate and See. For more information please view Kidsafe’s driveway safety video and fact sheet

Product Recalls

Joie — i-Gemm capsule and bases

Joie has recalled certain models of the i-Gemm capsule, i-Gemm base and Gemm capsule – sold between September 18, 2019 and November 1, 2019. If you have an affected model you should stop use immediately and contact Joie for advice. Click here for further details and assistance.

Kmart – Flashing Rings 4 Pack

The button battery located within these products may not be adequately secured or maybe easily accessible. If ingested button batteries may cause internal burn injuries, which can result in serious illness and even death. Return the product to the store to get a refund. For further information, please click here.

Harry and Millie — Key-Shaped Wooden Teether

The teether is smaller than what is required by mandatory standard and may a choking or suffocation hazard if teether gets lodged in an infant’s throat. Consumers should immediately cease using the teething toy and contact Harry and Millie to arrange a full refund. For further information, please click here.