Many people are not aware that November is Child Safety and Protection Month. During the month of November, many organizations try to spread awareness about the potential dangers children face to parents, childcare workers, and teenage babysitters.

Thousands of children are treated or hospitalized each year because of accidental poisonings within their own homes. The CDC found that children between the ages of one and four years had the highest rates of poisoning. 

To help make your home a safer environment for children, keep cleaning supplies, medicines, garden chemicals, and toxic art supplies locked away in a childproof cabinet or on a high shelf. Make sure these items are put away immediately after each use. 

Also, when purchasing over-the-counter and prescription medicines, make sure they come with childproof caps. Keep them on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet, not on your bedside table. You also should keep vitamins and mineral pills, such as iron, out of reach. They can be hazardous, even fatal, to children.

Lastly, program the contact number for Poison Control in your phone to use in the case of accidental poisoning. 

Dangers don’t only happen inside the house. For kids, playing outside is fun and important, but keeping children safe outdoors requires some special precautions. 

For starters, never leave children outside alone. Leaving children outside alone can result in a multitude of injuries. 

Ensure that all outdoor play areas are fenced, especially when they are near a street, parking lot, pond, water well, or railroad tracks. Keep the gates closed and install childproof latches. Also, be sure that all storage sheds, barns, and garages remain locked.

Check the outdoor play area routinely. Remove all trash, sharp objects (including branches or other foliage), tools, lawn equipment, and animal feces that could result in accidental injury. 

For more tips and information, search “Child Safety and Protection Month” for multiple resources that can help keep children safe.