Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
In the December 2016 issue of Hardware Retailing magazine, child safety experts share knowledge on the childproofing category. Through interviews with these experts and additional research, Hardware Retailing gathered the childproofing resources below. Retailers can utilize these resources to help learn more about child safety to best sell the category and help families protect their babies and young children.
International Association for Child Safety, Inc. and ChildproofingExperts.com
The International Association for Child Safety, Inc. (IAFCS) is a network of child safety professionals. Retailers need to be qualified as professional childproofing experts to become members. However, the association does provide educational opportunities retailers can access, even if they’re not experts.
Retailers can gain membership in the IAFCS as an associate member, which shows an individual’s commitment to ongoing education and to assisting families with current best practices and solutions for keeping children safe.
Additionally, the childproofing professionals of IAFCS created ChildproofingExperts.com, a resource for parents, caregivers, or those seeking real-world, up-to-date information and practical advice for keeping home, daycares and play facilities safer for young children.
The website offers educational resources retailers could utilize whether training employees or reading up on the childproofing category themselves. One helpful tool breaks down childproofing needs in this Childproofing Checklist by Age, which is available as a printable PDF.
Additional resources provided on the website include: The Do’s and Don’t of Baby Gates, 6 Tips for Installing Furniture Restraints to Prevent Tip-Overs, Kitchen Safety Tips and more.
Safe Kids Worldwide™
Another resource retailers can consult for educational information on childproofing is Safe Kids Worldwide. Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children.
A few resources the website provides in regards to Home Safety include: Water Safety at Home, Home Safety Checklist, TV and Furniture Tip-Overs and more.
Additional Childproofing Resources
- Anchor It! – The Anchor It! campaign is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) call to action to educate parents and caregivers about the dangers in the home.
- United States Consumer Product Safety Commission – This link provides safety guides and additional information on keeping kids and babies safe. A few areas covered include avoiding strings, cords and necklaces, drowning and more.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – The CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. On its website, there are resources for how to keep children safe in the home.
