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Who We Are
Safe Kids Kansas is a coalition network of over 70 statewide and regional partners dedicated to preventing childhood injury. Around the world, a child dies from an unintentional injury every 30 seconds. And millions of children are injured in ways that can affect them for a lifetime.
The important thing to remember about preventable injuries is that they are preventable.
When a child dies or is seriously injured, the lives of families and entire communities are changed forever. But these tragedies don’t have to happen. The important thing to remember about preventable injuries is that they are preventable. They often occur in predictable ways and can be completely avoided with the right education, awareness and planning. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to come together, to raise awareness and to get involved so we can ensure that all children around the world have the chance to grow up healthy and safe, and do all the great things kids were meant to do.
Safe Kids Kansas is a 501c(3) charitable organization and is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children. The designated lead agency for Safe Kids Kansas is the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Holiday Safety Tips
Kitchen Safety
Many holiday traditions take place in the kitchen. Basic safety steps will ensure sure your memories are pleasant ones.
- Never leave a hot stove unattended. (Unattended food on the stove is the number one cause of home fires.)
- Never hold a child while cooking or carrying hot items.
- Cook on back burners whenever possible, and turn all handles toward the back of the stove.
- Don’t allow loose-fitting clothing in the kitchen.
- Keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables. Be especially careful around tablecloths — children can pull hot dishes down onto themselves.
- Tie up the electrical cords of small appliances. A toddler playing with a dangling cord can pull a toaster or microwave down from a countertop.
Children who can follow directions may be ready to help out in the kitchen with tasks that do not involve knives, appliances, or heat. Some examples of child-friendly tasks include:
- tearing lettuce
- rinsing fruits and vegetables under cold water
- stirring ingredients in a bowl
- using cookie cutters
- measuring dry ingredients
- cutting soft fruits with a butter knife
Toy Safety
- Buy age-appropriate toys. Read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child. Keep toys with small magnets away from children. Magnets are extremely dangerous if swallowed.
- Identify dangerous small parts. Look at the product labeling for age recommendations. Products that grow larger when placed in water must be kept out of reach of children. If swallowed, they may require surgical removal.
- Keep batteries out of sight and out of reach. Lithium button batteries are coin-sized batteries that can easily be swallowed by children. They are found in products such as remote controls, singing greeting cards, watches, remotes, bathroom scales, and flameless candles. If a child swallows a battery, go to the emergency room immediately. Tell doctors and nurses that your child may have swallowed a battery. Do not let the child eat or drink until a chest x-ray can determine if a battery is present. Do not induce vomiting. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333 for additional treatment information.
- Buy the proper safety gear. The gift isn’t complete without a helmet and appropriate protective gear.
- Inspect toys. Throw away broken toys and keep toys with straps, cords or strings longer than 7 inches away from children, due to the risk of strangulation.
- Actively supervise children. Simply being in the same room as your child is not necessarily supervising. Active supervision means giving your child your full attention.
- Practice proper storage. Teach children to put toys away after playing to help prevent falls and make sure toys intended for younger children are stored separately from those for older children.
Safety in Childcare
Click here for information about safety in childcare.
Child Car Seats
Product Safety Recalls
To check for product safety recalls please visit www.recalls.gov your online resource for recalls.
What Can You Do?
What’s Going
On?
- Safe Kids Kansas Strategic Plan 2012-2014: The three-year strategic plan for Safe Kids Kansas was developed during retreats held in 2008 for the full coalition membership, local affiliates and board/staff. It highlights eleven goals set for Safe Kids Kansas and discusses unintentional childhood injury risk areas.
- 2012 State Needs Assessment
- Annual Report: A summary of activities and programs
- 2012
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