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.”