subject: How to Know Child Care Cribs Are Safe [print this page] How to Know Child Care Cribs Are Safe
When you drop your child off at their child care center, you trust that they are safe and cared for just as you would care for them in your own home. You've selected that day care center because you know it's up to code and has an attentive and knowledgeable staff. The expectation is that the crib provided for your child will keep them safe from any potential accidents or injury. Yet, how can you be sure that child care cribs are safe? Without any prior knowledge of how the crib has been used, how old it is or how safe it is, can you be sure that the crib your child uses is safe?
New Child Care Crib Safety Standards
In December 2010, the U.S. government released official regulations regarding the safety of child care cribs. These crib safety standards ensure that all full-size and non-full-size cribs are safe for your child. The new child care crib standards include:
Elimination of drop sides
Increased severity of vertical mattress impact test
Improved structural integrity of crib slats
Requirement of a horizontal cyclic test
Elimination of wood screws from key structural elements
Improved marking and labeling
Reduction of toehold exposure
Before these standards were released, there had been retrofit kits that were used to immobilize the drop side of a child care crib. Yet, with the new crib safety standards, retrofit kits will not make the crib compliant. Due to the many new safety standards in the latest regulations, cribs need to be originally manufactured with these regulations in mind. The goal of these standards is to reduce crib-related hazards and to give parents confidence in the safety of child care cribs.
Impact of a Safe Child Care Crib
For years, there had been an alarmingly high rate of failures of crib hardware and components, which is why these standards for child care cribs are so strict. Due to previously weak regulations fatalities and injuries resulted that could have been avoided. All non-compliant child care cribs will banned by these new safety standards. This ban impacts the use of any non-compliant crib regardless of the date of manufacturing or purchase.
The new safety standards for child care cribs give parents the reassurance that cribs in day care centers are safe for your children. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your child is safe.
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