Summer Safety for Children from the Child Protection Partnership Prince William Area

July and August are busy months for children and their parents and grandparents. What a great opportunity for parents and grandparents to spend quality, fun time with children. Because it is so busy there are risks for children that need to be on our radar.

Sun Safety – Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher should be used and reapplied every 2 hours. Hats and sunglasses are important.

Water Safety – Keep kids in shallow water until they are experienced swimmers. Always supervise children around all water.

Caregiver Safety –When using alternate care during the summer make sure you know and trust the caregiver. Make sure the child knows how to contact parents, grandparents or other reliable adults in an emergency. If children will be home alone, be sure to create home safety guidelines, a list of trusted emergency contacts and rules about who can/can’t enter the home. 

Outdoor Safety – Make sure that children are wearing helmets when riding bikes, scooters and roller skating. They need to know traffic laws and stay on sidewalks or safe streets. If they are playing summer sports make sure they have correct, well-fitting protective gear and are properly hydrated. Don’t wait for children to say they are thirsty, provide them with fluids regularly. For more information – www.scanva.org/prc .

June 2016