Staff need to take extra care to maintain a safe and healthy environment in the space used by families with young children. As a minimum, the following safety precautions should be taken:

• emergency numbers are posted near the telephone
• household cleaners are locked away
• no strong solvents or paints are used (except when there is time for all fumes to have disappeared, such as during holiday time)
• fire extinguishers are located near exits
• electrical outlets are covered with child-proof covers
• electrical appliances are unplugged and out of child’s reach
• any medicines (including vitamins) are locked away
• furniture is soft or has padded corners
• heavy furniture, such as a bookcase or television, is secured to the wall in order to prevent the furniture from falling
• there is a smoke detector with a working battery that is tested regularly
• blind and drapery cords are cut and secured with cord wind-ups, and are out of reach from children
• water temperature is turned down to 49°C or 120°F
• proper hand-washing instructions are posted beside all sinks
• any cribs used are built after 1986 (bars are properly spaced to prevent strangulation)
• any cooking is done on back burners, with turn pot handles toward back of stove
• safety gates are properly installed to keep children from falling down stairs
• any mats used are non-skid
• carpets and rugs are vacuumed regularly
• playground areas have soft surfaces, such as wood chips, pea gravel or sand
• playground equipment is well-anchored
• all program toys are washed regularly with soap
• all program toys are checked regularly for broken or loose parts
• all materials borrowed by participants are cleaned and checked upon their return
• the floor area is checked carefully for things small children might put into their mouths, before the children arrive onsite
• all snacks offered to children are approved in advance by parents or guardians
• no nuts or seafood is allowed onsite (to protect anyone with allergies)
• strangers are not permitted to loiter in the area with families
• children do not leave the room to use the washroom without staff or a parent
• no violence is acceptable (including slapping or spanking children)
• foul, disrespectful or racist language is not acceptable
• staff, volunteers and participants are encouraged to raise any safety concerns

For information about how to protect children from outdoor environmental dangers and contaminants, visit: http://www.cfc-efc.ca/healthy-spaces/home_en.php

Kljajic, Daria, Karen Meyer, Glenda Vergos, Mary Jean Watson. The Personal Safety Handbook. Toronto, ON:

Toronto Public Health, 2004. Toronto Public Health has developed this excellent resource about personal safety, now available through the AlphaPlus Centre.

Huebner, Fiona. A Guide for the Development of Policies and Procedures in Ontario’s Community Literacy Agencies. (Vol. 2) Barrie, ON: Community Literacy of Ontario, 2000.

This resource guide will assist agencies involved in home-visiting programs to develop appropriate safety standards, procedures and policies.