Early Childhood Management Services across Melbourne have joined Kidsafe’s ’Kids In Hot Cars’ campaign to help protect babies and small children from being left in life threatening situations.
ECMS have partnered with Kidsafe Victoria to place the safety signs at the entrance of every service in the ECMS network. This will see over six thousand families involved in the safety campaign daily, to reinforce the 'Kids In Hot Cars' safety message.
Bernie Nott, CEO of Early Childhood Management Services and Melanie Courtney, CEO of Kidsafe Victoria attached the first sign of the campaign at St Vincent’s Early Childhood Learning Centre this morning with a couple of little helpers.
Mr. Nott said, “This important safety campaign will benefit children attending early learning programs. We will also be spreading the safety message in partnership with Kidsafe via newsletters and fact sheets targeting the broader community."
Ms Courtney said “Leaving children unattended in a car, even for a short period of time, can be fatal. On a typical Australian summer day, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature."
“It is vital to recognise children’s smaller body size and underdeveloped nervous system placed them at greater risk of losing fluid quickly, becoming dehydrated and suffering from heatstroke,” said Ms Courtney.
Ms Courtney welcomed the partnership with Early Childhood Management Services saying it provided an important and vital link in getting the 'Kids in Hot Cars' safety message through at a grass roots level.
“Despite the ‘Kids in Hot Cars’ issue being run for a number of years, Ambulance Victoria Paramedics were called to more than 1100 cases of children locked in cars in 2013. This was an increase of almost 200 from the previous year, with almost two thirds of calls to car parks, streets or public places.”
“Even in the recent heat wave and after the widespread promotion of safety messages, we are still seeing the emergency services being called out to children whose lives are at risk, locked unattended in cars.”
Following a number of child deaths and several years of Kidsafe campaigning, Victorian legislation now makes leaving a child unattended in a car a criminal offence.
“We would urge anyone who sees a baby or a toddler in a car on their own to raise the alarm and call authorities.”
Information for parents and carers about the impact of leaving a child in a hot car is available on the Kidsafe website at www.kidsafevic.com.au.
The fact sheet Kids in Hot Cars provides information and advice for parents about travelling with children during summer, including:
• Providing plenty of cool fluids to avoid dehydration during long trips;
• Dressing children appropriately in hot weather;
• Ensuring all children wear well fitted, and age appropriate restraints; and
• Planning travel in the cool hours of the day.