Chicco

Chicco has Created the You & Me Front Carrier

As Safety Advocates know, babies are being left in their car seats too often and too long. Chicco has created the You & Me, the most advanced front carrier on the market. The You & Me is a great alternative to the car seat in the stroller or shopping cart.The ergonomically-tested Chicco You & Me infant carrier provides superior comfort and maximum support for caregiver and baby. Its features include:

Ventilated lumbar support and shoulder straps add comfort for caregiver
Lined with breathable fabric to keep baby cool with no labels touching baby's skin
Exclusive shoulder strap adjustment lets one choose how high or low to carry baby
2 Carrying positions: facing in until they can support their head, then facing out
Elastic fabric lines arm supports to keep baby from slumping in carrier
Height adjustment for baby is concealed in zippered, front access pocket
Adjusts for size of both baby and caregiver for superior comfort
Front of carrier opens fully to remove sleeping baby easily without disturbing their slumber
Reflective trim for evening adventures

Chicco will donate one You & Me front carrier to the first 30 Safe Kids Coalitions/Chapters that send in a 150-word essay on the benefits of front carriers versus car seats (when not traveling in motor vehicles). Retail value of the You & Me is $99.99. Send essays to Julie Robbins: julier@chiccousa.com, please cc keepingUsafe@insightbb.com. Include your name, phone number, and mailing address.Demo Seats still available: Coalitions/Chapters who have not requested a Chicco KeyFit 30 demo seat can still do so. The KeyFit 30 can be used from 4 to 30 lbs. Newborn insert, double bubble levels, spring-loaded adjustment foot, and convenient LATCH attachment are some of the features found on the KeyFit 30. One demo seat per organization is available. There is a $25 shipping fee or a shipper account number can be provided instead.

To request an application, email Julie Robbins: julier@chiccousa.com, please cc keepingUsafe@insightbb.com. Julie can also be reached at 317-867-3872.Julie Robbins, CPSTICommunity & Advocate Relations ManagerChicco

Toy Industry Association

Toy Industry Association Hard at Work to Ensure Safe Toys for US Kids

The safety of toys imported to the United States from China has been much in the news since the middle of last year, with toy brands undertaking voluntary recalls of some one percent of toys sold in the US last year. With the safety of children as our industry’s number one priority, these recalls sounded an alarm to which the industry responded immediately. While the US toy industry has for years prided itself on establishing the benchmark toy safety standards for the world, these recalls indicated that a break had occurred in the testing and inspection systems established to confirm compliance with those standards.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) resolved at once to identify and put into place a long-term solution to this issue that would allow parents to be reassured that toys sold in the US are safe. TIA knew it couldn’t accomplish this on its own and called upon partners from all across society to help them reach that solution. Here is what they have been doing, starting last August.

Working with the US Congress and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), pushing to develop uniform, comprehensive, federal legislation that would provide increased funding and authority to the CPSC, make testing for conformance with toy safety standards mandatory and require that a product certification program be created.Status: Legislation has now passed both houses and is scheduled to go to Conference shortly to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The toy industry has been urging Congress to move the bill forward expeditiously.
Working with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), to develop a Toy Safety Certification Program (TCSP) that will ensure products are carefully tested for conformity to safety standards. The TSCP has three key requirements for certification: 1) a risk analysis conducted on new toy designs; 2) testing of product conformity to US standards by an accredited laboratory; and, 3) auditing of the safety and quality assurance processes used by the factory producing the toy.

Founded in 1918, ANSI is a multi-stakeholder, consensus driven standards and conformity assessment organization that is actively engaged in accrediting programs that assess conformance to safety, quality and environmental standards.Status: The programs have been developed through the ANSI process and approved by the TIA Board. Work has now begun on implementation of the program in the field and in 2009 it is expected that the program will include a product certification mark that will signal to consumers that products that bear the mark have successfully met the program’s requirements.

Undertaking a public education program in the US to ensure that there is open and complete communication to all interested parties about the steps industry is taking.Status: Established the http://www.toyinfo.org/ consumer website, with information on toy safety and what the industry is doing. Information is also available at http://www.toyassociation.org/, click on “Toy Safety.” A more comprehensive communications program will begin shortly, as plans for toy safety certification are implemented.

Working with Chinese authorities to help establish stronger in-country testing protocols and inspections for toys intended for export anywhere. Status: AQSIQ, the Chinese equivalent of the US CPSC, has been diligent in insisting upon, and inspecting for conformity with, toy safety standards, particularly as regards the use of lead paint.

These are in addition to TIA’s long-standing programs, which include:

Supporting its members, North American manufacturers and importers, as they strengthen their own safety compliance activities.
Leading the development of international toy safety standards, as TIA has done since the 1930s, in its ongoing effort to ensure that US risk-based standards are first-rate and consumers are safe.

Conducting toy safety seminar programs in China for factory managers, as in the past 11 years, to educate management of the factories producing for the U.S market on compliance with US standards.

Working with US and Chinese government regulatory authorities to ensure that regulatory requirements and voluntary standards complement each other and achieve the desired product safety.

Children are the principal consumers of the products the US toy industry markets and are the industry’s only reason for being. The US toy industry remains fully committed to the safety of children and will do whatever is necessary to correct current safety issues so that the products it markets live up to the standards it has set for them.

Britax

There is a new Harness-2-Booster restraint in the field – introducing the NEW Frontier including True Side Impact Protection minimizing lateral movement and shielding from intrusion in the event of a side impact crash.

The Frontier Harness-2-Booster® started shipping the 2nd week of April. Have you heard of it? Has a parent asked for help with it yet? Here is an outline of the features and capacities so you can familiarize yourself with it before your next event.

Height and Weight range
– Harness Mode
• 2-years of age AND 25 – 80 lbs. forward-facing
• 30”-53” in standing height
• 12”-18.25” seated height (seat to shoulder)
• 8 Harness Height positions
q 12.25” – 18.25”
• 3-buckle positions
q 5”
q 6.5”
q 8.25”
– Booster Mode
• 40 lbs. and more
• 42”-60” in standing height
• 13.5” – 21.5” seated height (seat to shoulder)
Modes of use/installation
– Harness Mode
• LATCH – short route
• Lap-shoulder belt – short OR long route (long route instruction addendum posted http://www.britaxusa.com/)
• Lap belt – short route
• Tether required 65-80 lbs.
• Aircraft approved
• Recline block rotated to front of restraint
– Booster Mode
• Lap-shoulder belt to secure child seat AND child
• LATCH to position child seat in vehicle AND lap-shoulder belt to secure child
• Recline block rotated to back of restraint

The user guide is available on-line (http://www.britaxusa.com/support/userguides.aspx) with detailed guidelines for use and installation.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns and constructive feedback at stilton@BritaxUSA.com.

Thank you
Sarah Tilton
Child Passenger Safety Advocate