As the weather heats up, and families spend more time outdoors and near water, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) wants to ensure that summertime is a safe time for kids. To prevent tragedies and serious injuries from occurring, DCF suggests some simple but vital tips for parents and caregivers to follow.
“It is so important for parents to stick to a few safety rules – such as always watching kids around water and never leaving a child alone in a car,” says DCF Commissioner Allison Blake.
DCF is reminding parents and caretakers to never leave children unattended near water and always child-proof backyard swimming pools. A child can drown in just a few inches of water and within seconds, often without any splashing or screaming.
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under 14. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools and in most cases those children had been in the care of their parents and out of sight for less than five minutes.
“Far too many children die from drowning each year. These are preventable tragedies, and a sad reminder of how accidents can occur in a matter of moments,” Commissioner Blake said. “We want to stress the need to be vigilant with children around water.”
DCF’s “Not Even for a Second” campaign stresses the following water safety tips for parents:
- Always have an ADULT supervising young swimmers. Never leave a child alone around water. Children are drawn to it, and very young children can drown in just one inch of water.
- Flotation devices or inflatable toys are not substitutes for supervision. Teach children to swim at an early age.
- Obey all posted or verbal rules, warning signs and other safety signs. Don’t mix alcohol and supervision of children.
- Always drain and store plastic or blow-up wading pools in an upright position. Enclose pools completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence, and do not leave furniture around that children can use to climb over the fence. You can contact the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for more information regarding pool construction and residential codes: www.nj.gov/dca.
- Be sure to remove pool covers completely to reduce the risk of children getting caught underneath.
DCF is also reminding parents and caregivers to never leave children unattended in a vehicle, where temperatures can quickly rise to dangerous levels, especially in warmer summer months.
“Even on a moderate day, the inside of a car can heat up to dangerous levels in a short time,” said Commissioner Blake. “A child left alone in a vehicle, even for a short time, is in danger of abduction, injury, dehydration and even death”
DCF’s “Not Even for a Minute” campaign outlines tips for parents to help keep kids safe around cars, including:
- Never leave a child unattended in a car. Not even for a minute.
- Always lock your car and secure the keys so that your kids can’t get to them.
- Warn your children about playing in and around cars.
- Install a trunk release mechanism so that kids can’t get trapped inside the trunk.
- Get your kids out of the car first, and then worry about unloading the groceries and items out of the car. TLS.
To ALL parents.
I BEG YOU – Please adhere to these guidelines.
As an EMT, I have seen horrible, horrible cases of children dying after being left in a car or in a pool “for just a minute”
Stop for a minute and imagine life with your child gone. Imagine waking up every day and seeing their bed empty. Imaging living with the guilt of knowing you could have prevented his death by not “leaving him in car for just a minute” while you ran into the bank to cash a check.
To all those who think it cannot happen… it can, and it does. Every year, infants and toddlers die after being left in hot cars, or unsupervised near pools.
**warning – graphic description ahead**
On a hot day, the inside of a car can rise to 140 degrees in minutes. At that temperature, the skin of a child or infant will turn red and start to bubble. The air in the car is so hot, it will burn the lungs with each breath. Due to the swelling of the skin, it will be very difficult for the child to sweat, so the body temperature will continue to rise. After just a few minutes, the temperature of the brain will get hot enough where brain cells will start to die off. Cells in other organs like kidney and liver will also start to die. The child will experience excruciating pain and it will probably be the most miserable experience he has ever gone through. He will be too weak to cry and will start losing his vision. The poor child will experience fear like never before and cry out for his mommy or daddy, but no one can hear him in a car with the windows closed. Death can follow very quickly.
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The above description is not a scare tactic. It is real and happens every time a child is left in a hot car for more than a few minutes. Print this out and keep it with you. The next time you think its okay to leave him in the car for a just a few minutes, read it and ask yourself “do I want to put my precious baby through this?”
this is a very important story please read it carefully. My only issue is that in NJ its not DCF its DYFS (division of youth and family services).
you have to warn people about this. common sence people it’s not rocket science.
Anonymous – thanks for your comment. Just wanted to clarify that the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) is NJ’s child protection and welfare agency within the NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF). DYFS is only one division within DCF, which is the large “umbrella” department which serves and safeguards children and families in the state. Hope that information is helpful. And we do appreciate any opportunity to get the word out about important prevention information so that all children and families have a safe and enjoyable summer! Thank you!