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Finding the Right Car Seat for Your Child

October 16, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Keep your child safe in a car seat

Infant car seats come in many shapes and sizes. They can be big, small, subtle and outlandish. They come affixed with gadgets and hinges, some of which look easy to manage for the average earth dweller and others that look as though they’ve been developed in a galaxy far, far away. They can be comfortable, inviting, odd looking, and entirely perplexing. They require constant care, adjustments, and their lifespan can seem shorter than that of the average fruit fly.

When it comes down to it finding the right car seat is an art form, requiring a good deal of time, energy, and research. Thankfully, there are a number of resources and consumer grades to help you determine which car seats (and what prices!) are right for you. We’ve included a few snippets below:

Consumer Reports recently published a list of the best car seat manufacturers and brands, following its requisite crash and safety testing of infant seats. All in all, 13 infant car seats earned the best rating post-crash test, which increased and/or changed parameters like speed (from 30 to 35 miles per hour) and seat placement to better gauge durability. Based on the report, infant seats tested ranged from $55 to $440. Somewhat surprisingly, higher costs didn’t always equal better quality. The $55 seat (the Evenflo Discovery 5), for example, earned the better rating, but the Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat G2, which rings up at $440, received a basic score. Cars.com put together the 13 best seats

Britax B-Safe
Chicco KeyFit
Chicco KeyFit 30
Cybex Aton 2
Cosco Comfy Carry
Evenflo Secure Ride 35
Graco SnugRide 30 (Classic Connect)
Maxi-Cosi Mico
Safety 1st Comfy Carry Elite
Safety 1st Comfy Carry Elite Plus
Safety 1st onBoard35 Air
The First Years Contigo
The First Years Via I470

BabyCenter.com went straight to the source, asking moms what they believed to be the safest infant car seats on the market in 2014. The top-ranked Chicco Keyfit 30 ($195) features a bubble ball, similar to a carpenter’s balance bar, which helps determine if he seat is placed at the proper angle. Mom’s agreed that the Chicco Keyfit 30 is one of the easiest seats to install; as one mommy critic put it: “Light, but safe. That’s all that matters.” Others mommy picks from BabyCenter.com include the Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 ($88), a bestseller that’s both safe and affordable, running just under the $100 mark. Ideal features include a comfortable headrest and neck support, along with providing a good deal of sunshade.

As Parent Magazine puts it, “Nothing is more stressful than the first time you have to trust the car and car seat to get your baby home.” While that first nervous moment may trump them all, it’s easy to forget how stressful your child’s ensuing growth patterns ultimately require you to do it over again. That’s why Parent recommends the Diono RadianR100 Convertible Car Seat ($207.99). The Diono can support up to 100 lbs, depending on how you use it: It holds the baby in rear-facing mode from 5 to 40 pounds, forward-facing 20 to 65 pounds, and forward-facing up to 57 inches. Bonus: It will also act as a booster up to 100 pounds. The 3-in-1 Graco Nautilus ($139.99) also comes highly recommended. The harness straps can be used from 20 to 65 pounds and can transform from a high-back booster to a backless booster, should you desire those options.

Non-Profit Spotlight: The TEARS Foundation

October 14, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The TEARS Foundation is our second Non-Profit Spotlight this month.

October is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month. On October 15th, organizations and communities across the U.S. will come together to raise awareness for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death System, the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old) and other life-threatening diseases, many of which continue to bring about unspeakable heartache for millions of parents around the country.

Given the importance of the month and the October 15th event, it’s only fitting that we salute the TEARS Foundation as our second Non-Profit Spotlight this month. The Seattle-based 501 (c)(3), with local ties in LaGrange, IL, has been providing emotional and financial support to bereaved parents and families since 2002. In 2012 TEARS commemorated its 10^th anniversary, noting that it had helped more than 1,000 families through its services.

TEARS aims to “compassionately lift a financial burden from families who have lost a baby by providing funds to assist with the cost of burial or cremation services,” according to its mission statement. TEARS also provides free support groups and specially trained “peer companions” (generally a bereaved parent or family member that has been through similar circumstances) that have completed a highly comprehensive TEARS training program. Peer Companions make themselves available to speak over the phone or in person.

“We believe that every baby’s life deserves to be honored and memorialized in accordance with the grieving parents’ wishes and are committed to helping bereaved parents with this experience,” continues the organization’s mission statement. “We also believe that every grieving parent deserves access to ongoing bereavement support.”

The non-profit has received recognition and awards both for the foundation and for its founder, Sarah Slack, including the award for Innovation in Service by the Non-Profit Excellence Awards and the Pay It Forward Award by Principal Global Financial; Slack was named a finalist for People Magazine’s Heroes Among Us Award in 2009, and was named one of the Top 5 Women of the Year by Seattle’s Evening Magazine.

Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks selected the TEARS Foundation to be a charity partner of the Super Bowl-winning cornerback’s Blanket Coverage Foundation, which held the second annual Richard Sherman Celebrity Softball Game earlier this year, bringing even more attention to the foundation and its mission of support.

Each day, 13 babies will be lost to SIDS and other sudden, unexpected infant deaths. More than 70 new mothers will suffer stillborn pregnancies, and countless lives will be lost to miscarriage and other complications with pregnancy. Locally, there are over 1,500 infant deaths in Illinois each year, a near incomprehensible reality that can be devastating in more ways than one. Thanks to the TEARS Foundation, parents and families that have suffered the loss of a child take comfort in the fact that they’re not alone.

“TEARS was there for us and lifted a financial burden when our daughter died,” reads one testimonial on the TEARS website. Just one of many you can find on the TEARS website. “It meant so much.”

Though the Illinois chapter remains relatively young, that hasn’t stopped them from planning ahead. On June 7, 2015, TEARS kicks off its now-annual Illinois Rock & Walk at the St. James Forest Preserve in Warrenville, a chance to raise money and support for grieving families. Registration opens on the TEARS website shortly.

“God bless The TEARS Foundation,” says another testimonial. “They were there for my daughter through all her pain, grief, agony, and financial strain. They helped her in her saddest moment in life.”

If you are interested in becoming involved with the Illinois Chapter of The TEARS Foundation, contact Raquel Gorman or Dianne Umphress at (815) 546-4133 or IllinoisWalk@TheTearsFoundation.org.

Nursing Home Care: Five Things You Should Know

October 10, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Courtesy of Integracp, Wikipedia Commons

Quality living has been the topic of debate lately in Illinois, where, according to Families for Better Care, Inc., a citizen advocacy group based in Tallahassee, Florida, nursing home care ranks one of the lowest of the low. For the second consecutive year Illinois has received a failing grade from Families for Better Care, dropping two spots in the national rankings from 42 in 2013 to 44 in 2014.

The Land of Lincoln scored failing or below average grades in 5 of 8 categories, placing lowest in direct care staffing hours per resident (47th), the percentage of facilities with deficiencies (44th), and the percentage of facilities with severe deficiencies (39th), according to the report.

“Illinois’s ranking shows that nursing homes continued to be riddled with problems,” said Families for Better Care executive director Brian Lee in a statement. “The state remains among the worst in hiring enough staff to care for residents.”

As Lee notes, the hiring of qualified workers appears to be one of many glaring problem of Illinois’s poor performance. Local lawmakers are making attempts to compensate for lack of staff and substandard facilities by adopting newer and more technology-based methods to improve its national standing. And one prospective law, with roots in Illinois, hopes to extend its reach nationwide. Below are five laws and prospective laws you should be aware of:

1.) Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act
There are roughly 1,200 long-term care facilities in the state of Illinois, serving more than 100,000 residents. Those are dense numbers. Over the summer, Illinoi Rep. Jan Schakowsky introduced the “Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act,” which would require nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that receive Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement to have a direct-care Registered Nurse on duty 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

2.) Video Cameras in Nursing Homes
The latest proposal from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, would allow video cameras and audio recording devices to be installed inside the rooms of residents, a measure that hopes to curb deficiencies and staff abuse by creating a more transparent environment. The proposal —with remnants of earlier bill that failed to muster bipartisan support in the past — hopes to be a game changer in the quest to protect resident’s rights and their safety.

3.) Illinois Department of Public Health Ombudsman Program
In August, Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill expanding the Ombudsman Program, which allows residents of long-term care facilities and their families to file grievances through an online portal at the Illinois Department of Health website. Starting January 1, 2015, older adults and persons with disabilities ages 18 to 59 who live in a community setting will receive the same advocacy services as people who reside in nursing homes.

4.) Pathways to Community Living Program
In Illinois, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services partners with the Department of Human Services, the Department on Aging, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority for the Pathways to Community Living Program, a subset of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006. Under the Pathways initiative, the state has increased community services and rebalanced the state’s long term care systems by providing appropriate, person-centered services for individuals interested in transitioning from institutional settings to qualified home and community based settings.

5.) The Nursing Home Care Act
The Illinois General Assembly adopted the Nursing Home Care Act (NHCA) in 1979, a law that gives nursing home residents complete “power of attorney” should they choose to file suite against a home and/or owner, along with outlining several laws defining residents’ rights. This includes but is not limited to: 1.) The right to religious freedom. 2.) The right to refuse treatment. 3.) The right to be cared for by their own doctor under their own health insurance or expense.

How Parents Endanger Their Kids In Cars

October 6, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Bending the rules. For parents that could mean any number of minor infractions: a candy bar before dinner, an hour of television before bed. In those cases, by all means bend away. Some rules, however, shouldn’t bend at all.

The latest report from Safe Kids Worldwide reveals that one in five parents of young kids admit to “bending the rules” while riding in cars with their children, according to the organizations recent study, as reported by NBC 5 Chicago. Safe Kids also notes that three times as many parents admit that they’ve seen other parents doing the same; and one in four parents admit to failing to secure a child with a seat belt during a car ride. The report was based on a survey of 1,000 parents of children ages 4 to 10. These eye-opening numbers show just often adults endanger the lives of their children by overlooking typical safety measures.

Parents, adults and caregivers cited “quick rides,” “traveling overnight,” and the fact that they’re “in a rush” as reasons for not securing a child properly. Nineteen percent of parents between the ages of 19 and 29 often “reward” their child by allowing them to sit in the front seat without a seat belt. A number of parents also believe that a child is safe as long as they’re able to monitor while driving.

Affluent parents and households with higher levels of education were more likely to say that it was okay for a child to ride in a car without a seatbelt, and men were more likely than women to admit that riding in a car with an unrestrained child was acceptable practice. As income level increased adults more frequently said it was okay for a child to ride in a car without a seatbelt.

The report also found that three out of ten parents don’t discuss car safety with other adults when it comes to carpooling, including the use of booster seats. Although 92 percent of parents and caregivers had heard of booster seats only 17 percent shared concerns about their child’s safety.

Based on the findings, Safe Kids recommends several strategies for parents to take advantage of moving forward:

It goes without saying: buckle up your kids and friends’ kids every ride, every time. Nearly one-third of children who die in car crashes are completely unrestrained. It’s a simple and necessary mantra for keeping your child safe and secure for every ride. Make it a habit for older children who can buckle themselves, and make sure to check they’ve done so properly before setting out on your ride.

Talk to other parents who are driving your kids about eh importance of buckling up. Half of parents who report not talking about child safety seats with other adults said that they trusted them and assumed they would take the necessary precautions for keeping kids safe. Take assumptions out of the equation. Have a discussion about how you expect your child to be restrained properly while riding in a car, even if it’s not your own.

Check that the right child safety seat is being used and that it’s installed properly. Roughly 30 percent of caregivers believe that they have installed or secured a booster seat correctly, when in fact they haven’t. Find a local car seat check-up station and or check-up event and make sure the seat is securely fastened and installed.

Always remember: Safety First!

Check out Buckle Up Illinois for more information:

Nonprofit Spotlight: Kids In Danger

October 3, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As part of a new series on the blog, we’re highlighting Illinois and Chicago-based not-for-profits, ones that we believe are doing great work for the community on several fronts.

Today we salute Kids In Danger (KID), an organization that protects children and educates adults when it comes to child product safety. Faulty child products are one of the leading causes of death among children. According to KID, more than 80,000 children under the age of 5 suffered injuries related to nursery products in 2010. That number continues to rise as we head into 2015, in just one of many categories related to product safety.

Like the start of so many awareness-based groups, KID is rooted in tragedy. University of Chicago professors Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar founded KID in 1998 following the death of their son in an unsafe portable crib, an item that had been recalled only months earlier. More than 10 years later, KID has led the charge to increase awareness and prevent would-be victims of dangerous children’s products, many of which find their way onto a recall list. Ironically, the same recalls fail to find their way onto the radar screens of parents; by then it’s sometimes too late. More alarming than the frequency of product recalls is how unsuspecting and harmful they can be.

A recent example: the Colors of Benetton Boys Jacket was recalled earlier this month due to an entanglement hazard related to its drawstring. These and other seemingly benign qualities have the potential to change your family’s life in an instant. Preventing your child from these unsuspecting dangers simply requires a greater awareness, and KID provides several easy-to-access tools and safety guides directly on its website.

Some items that intrigue us: The organization hosts a central portal of information that encourages parents to review the latest product safety regulations, along with listing the latest government-mandated product recalls on its blog and Facebook page. The site’s news portal includes links and downloadable pamphlets with useful safety information, such as creating safer environments around the house. Below you’ll see how Kid breaks down three of its most important programs:

Safe from the Start — SFTS educates a large and diverse body of parents, childcare providers and healthcare professionals about dangerous and recalled children’s products.
The Debby Sayah Grandparent Outreach Project – provides this essential population of caregivers with focused product safety information.
Teach Early Safety Testing — TEST promotes and encourages designers and engineers to incorporate safety and testing into product development, primarily by working with undergraduate engineering programs.

One of the most appealing resources on the site: KID highlights major news stories and timely events each month, ranging from major settlements to ongoing legal cases with far-reaching implications, as part of a monthly roundup. The organization also publishes Recall Digest each month, a comprehensive list of the latest products that have been recalled, along with explanations for why. Visitors can also subscribe to the organization’s YouTube page featuring video tutorials and Public Service Announcements.

Thanks to KID, you can stay up to date with the latest in child product safety and useful information like KID’s “three steps to safety”: KID often references the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which recently enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Levinson and Stefani is proud to spotlight KID this month. If you’re skeptical of our choice, you can check out GreatNonProfits.org, where KID has earned the distinction of a Top Nonprofit.

“KIDS is an amazing organization,” says one reviewer. “The value of information that is presented to the world is unique. We recommend utilizing the site and signing up to get the alerts. KIDS really helps save lives.”

How Parents Can Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences

October 1, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The parent-teacher conference is a deeply personal ritual. It can be a wholly congratulatory experience or an indictment of one’s parenting skills. As comfortable or as uncomfortable as conferences may be, the most important thing to remember is that you’re there to talk about your child. Keep in mind a few basic principles when talking to your child’s teacher, so you can make the most out of the conversation.

Come prepared
The parent-teacher conference is a dialogue of great value. Like anything else, it’s important to be ready. Define your goals. Define your child’s goals. Write out a list of the ten most important questions and talking points prior to your meeting. Take advantage of the fact that you have an opportunity to gain insight into your child’s educational experience from the person who sees them almost as often as you do. By doing so, you’ll also prove that you take your child’s school experience as seriously as teachers do.

Stick to the subject
National Public Radio came up with a list of general principles to note the next time you’re scheduled for a parent-teacher conference. It boils down to three things: the child, the classroom, and the future. You may be tempted to boast about your child’s learning abilities. You may be tempted to defend their shortcomings. Stick to the subject. Listen to one another. Resist the temptation to chitchat and put the focus squarely on your child’s habits in the classroom. Discuss strategies to improve their learning habits and opportunities to improve the school experience, both inside the classroom and beyond.

Stay Engaged
The Harvard Family Research Project reaffirms what most parents already know: “family engagement matters for students success.” The Project defines Family Engagement in the following ways: 1.) A shared responsibility among families, community organizations, and schools; 2.) Continuous throughout a child’s life, from birth through adolescence; 3.) Occurring across the multiple settings and contexts in which children grow and learn.

It’s a perpetual process involving several factors of outside life. Take the conversation seriously and apply any suggestions or tips for better learning back at home, within a support group, or a community even, that fosters mutual success among its participants. Remember that education is a lifelong process, that continues beyond the classroom. Staying engaged and helping your child at home is one of the most important things you can for your child, but involving them in other learning-based, communal activities shows them how other kids are working towards the same goals. Establishing these learning habits and communities throughout childhood will help your young student succeed in school and out.

Open the lines of communication
Several factors may contribute to your child’s learning, even beyond the classroom. A recent divorce, a separation, a move to a new city, losing a best friend, or even a death in the family—all these things and more can contribute to a child’s psyche and well being. It can also affect you, which indirectly affects your kids. Addressing these issues with your child’s teacher may provide additional insight into their learning habits, and also make the teacher aware of how they may be coping with lingering issues at home. It is certainly not unusually for at-home “issues” to follow a child with them into school and extracurriculars.

Follow up
Parent-teacher conferences generally happen every 1-2 months and they last about 15-20 minutes a piece. Depending on the extant of your conversation, there may be many more topics left to discuss. Suggest a follow up with your child’s teacher either by phone or in-person. If the teacher is willing, you can cover more ground on a regular basis to ensure your child is improving in school and/or establish better learning tools at home. Ask the teacher if he or she can email you updates, or if the teacher puts class information online where parents can also see what their kids should be working on.