Cool Tips Help Keep Kids Safe During Summer Heat

Cool Tips for Parents:
Keeping Kids Safe during Hot Weather

SEATTLE, WA – With temperatures soaring into the upper 80’s and 90’s across the state, the Council for Children & Families (CCF) would like to offer a few simple parent tips to help keep kids safe and cool during this unusually warm weather.

8 Cool Facts Every Parent Should Know During Hot Weather:

• Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can occur rapidly in enclosed vehicles. Never leave your child unattended in a car. Children’s thermoregulatory systems warm three to five times faster than an adult’s. 

• Always check to make sure all children leave the vehicle when you reach your destination. Don’t overlook sleeping infants. Be especially careful if you change your routine for dropping off infants or children at day care. (COOL PARENT TIP: Have a plan that if your child is late for daycare that you will be called within a few minutes).

• On a 93° degree day, the inside of a car can exceed 125° degrees Fahrenheit in as little as 20 minutes. The temperature inside of a car is hotter than outside temperatures, and can climb rapidly. (COOL PARENT TIP: Keep your child’s toy or diaper bag in the front passenger seat to help remind you the child is on board). 

• An open or screened window in homes can be a danger to children.  Falls from upper story windows related to the heat have been responsible for fatal child injuries in our state.  (COOL PARENT TIP: Keep furniture away from windows, open windows from the top down if possible, and install child-safety window guards all help to prevent injury).

• Heat stroke can occur in a matter of minutes for young children and infants.   (COOL PARENT TIP: Keep children sufficiently hydrated and cool during the day).

• Cracking the windows enough to let in air is not an effective way to avoid the heat risks involved with leaving a child alone in a car on a hot day.

• Seek immediate emergency medical attention if you know or think that your child has been exposed to high temperatures by having been left in or accidentally trapped in a car.

• If your child gets locked inside a car, dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately.

More Parent & Media Resources:

Safe Kids USA:  Safety in & around cars
Brochures and tips sheets to help keep kids safe all year long: http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/in-and-around-cars/

2010 Children & Hypothermia Study:
A recent vehicle heat study and parent tips by the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University: http://ggweather.com/heat/ 

2010 Children & Hypothermia Fact Sheet:
English: http://ggweather.com/heat/fact_sheet.pdf
Spanish: http://ggweather.com/heat/ninovehiculo.pdf

About the Council for Children & Families (CCF)

The Council for Children & Families was established in 1982 by the Washington State Legislature to promote programs, policies, practices and partnerships that strengthen community efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever occurs. From parent support groups that reduce social isolation to programs that teach fathers about child development, CCF focuses on initiatives that strengthen families and encourage safe, nurturing home environments.

Additional support for these programs is provided through sales of the Washington State Heirloom Birth Certificate (http://www.ccf.wa.gov/support-council/heirloom-birth-certificate) and the Keep Kids Safe special license plate (http://www.ccf.wa.gov/support-council/license-plate).  More information about CCF is available at www.ccf.wa.gov.

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Media Contact:
Chris Jamieson, Communications Director
Tel:  206.389.2412
E-mail:  chris@ccf.wa.gov
Web:  www.ccf.wa.gov 
Twitter:   http://twitter.com/CCFWashington