Your family is important to us, and so is your safety.
Winter is here, which often means cold weather, harsh winds, snow, and ice are here as well! When bad weather hits, your first instinct might be to run to the store for the essentials to hunker down comfortability at home; TFI asks you to consider these tips to keep you and your family safe while out and about.
- Wrap your babies in a blanket or thin layers. Did you know having a young child or baby in a heavy coat and a car seat while driving is unsafe? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the NHTSA, the puffiness of a coat could cause critical brain, neck, or spine injuries in the event of a car accident. Instead, covering your young child in blankets and light layers is recommended. If you have a heavy coat for them, that’s ok – strap them in without it on and then place it on top of them backward.
- Put your purse, briefcase, or something of importance in the backseat with your young child. We usually only think of children being left alone in hot cars during the summer, but it happens in the winter too. If your child is too quiet or your routine changes, you might forget your child is in the backseat. By putting something important in the backseat, you have more than one reason to look in the backseat when you reach your destination.
- Keep an emergency kit in your car. When a winter storm hits, you could find yourself stranded somewhere with emergency crews moving slowly to get to you. If this happens, having a first aid kit, blankets, water, and snacks in the car while you wait for help is helpful.
- Dress your children in layers. We know that getting them to wear a coat may be a struggle in and of itself, but if you can’t avoid sending your child on the bus in cold weather, double up on socks and ensure they have gloves or hand warmers and a hat. You can make this activity fun by letting your child pick out fun socks, gloves, and earmuffs to wear while they wait for the bus.
At TFI, we value child safety and hope these winter tips will help your family stay safe this season! If you have questions, or want more information on child safety during the winter, please visit Keep Your Little Ones Warm and Safe in Their Car Seats | NHTSA.
TFI is a leading child welfare agency providing experience, compassion, quality services and care. We provide various types of services in the community and have over 50 years of experience in providing child welfare services including foster care services, group home care, case management, independent living, psychiatric residential treatment center, behavioral health, adoption services, visitation services and aftercare services.
