Spring Edition | 3.1.2022
Quarterly News & Updates
Unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death among children ages 19 and under in the United States. Each year one out of every four children needs medical attention for an accidental injury. Most of these unintentional injuries and deaths are preventable.

This newsletter is filled with resources and information to help keep your family safe this time of year.
Contact us at 701.780.1489 or safekids@altru.org
Safe Kids Grand Forks hosts many events covering a variety of safety topics throughout the year.

There's something for everyone!
A message from Kristi Hall-Jiran
Please join me in congratulating Safe Kids Grand Forks supervisor, Carma Hanson, and her fabulous team, on 30 years of providing exemplary service to our region. We also extend our thanks and congratulations to the many partner agencies who make Safe Kids the strong coalition that it is in our communities. We know their combined hard work has prevented countless injuries, and even childhood deaths, over the past 30 years, and we are deeply grateful for their efforts to keep our children safe “at home, at school, at play, and on the way.” 
Safe Kids STAR - Sue Bjornstad
Sue has been such a wonderful part of our coalition. We can always count on Sue to be here every week to tackle the pile of projects we have waiting for her.

We appreciate all the time Sue volunteers at our office as we have been able to reach additional radio stations, update school rosters and find partners in our service area.

We thank you Sue and love naming you this edition's Safe Kids's Star!
Car Seat Tech Corner
Rotating car seats are here! These car seats are handy for caregivers to be able to have the child facing the side of the vehicle when they are buckling/unbuckling their child. They can also be a great option in a special needs situation when maybe the child is getting too heavy to fit up over the side of a car seat or even great for a caregiver that might be having back issues. Keep these seats in mind when you are working with caregiver that might have a unique situation.
Featured Car Seat
Whiz Rider
WhizRider is a compact and portable travel car seat – great for carpooling, ride-sharing, 3-in-a-row, travel and more.

WhizRider is available in two sizes and is adjustable to fit children from ages 3 to 10 years old.

Retail Price $89.99
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Many children will ride in a booster seat from the age of 6 - 10 or 12.

May 1st is National Heatstroke Prevention Day. It doesn’t take a hot day for the inside of a car to reach dangerously high temperatures. Don’t think it can happen to you? Click here to read 2 stories of heartbreaking situations that happened in our area. 




Bike to School Week
May 2nd - 6th 2022
Safe Kids Grand Forks will be at schools around the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks area promoting biking to school all week long!

Spring is upon us and that means it's time to get our bikes out!
Safe Kids Grand Forks has been busy helping with safety issues around Grand Forks!
As the weather starts to warm up we want you to be safe on the ice, follow these safety tips from the MN DNR.
Spring is right around the corner!
Here's what we want you to know about keeping kids safe on playground equipment and in sandboxes.

If you or someone you know is looking to add a play set or sandbox to their yard, please share this important information with them.
Teach children to be safe around dogs.
Children are fascinated with dogs! Unfortunately, too often, a child's excitement for meeting or playing with a dog leads to injuries to children or dogs.

If you are being chased, learn how to "Be a Tree" so a dog goes away.
Keep Your Home Safe From the Leading Cause of Poisoning In Young Children - Medication
Every day thousands of people are prescribed medications or take medications that may be bought over the counter. It is crucial to be careful when taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbal preparations, and supplements. While medications are useful in helping to aid symptoms of illness, they may be dangerous if incorrect dosing, storage, or handling are not properly followed. In mid-March, we celebrate National Poison Prevention Week and it is important to look at some safety tips for handling and administering at home medications. 
Prevent unintentional window falls by following these steps.
Install Window Guards and Stops

Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not children in. Properly install window guards to prevent unintentional window falls. For windows above the first floor, include an emergency release device in case of a fire.
Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.

Open Windows From the Top and Close After Use

If you have windows that can open from both top and bottom, make it a habit of opening just the top to prevent accidental falls. Keep in mind that as kids grow, they may have enough strength, dexterity and curiosity to open the bottom.

Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used.

Keep Kids From Climbing Near Windows

For your crawlers and climbers, move chairs, cribs and other furniture away from windows to help prevent window falls.

Never move a child who appears to be seriously injured after a fall - call 911 and let trained medical personnel move the child with proper precautions.
For over twenty five years, Safe Kids Grand Forks has been conducting Kids Don’t Float water safety classes in our community. These classes are    designed to teach life-long water safety skills for students in second through fifth grade. During the interactive presentation, the youth in attendance learn about the importance of wearing a life jacket, how to properly fit one, what to do to rescue someone that may be drowning and many other skills that are to keep them safe whether they are at a pool, in a boat, fishing by the river or a whole host of other water environments and activities.
Sophia’s Law and Carbon Monoxide Detectors on Motorboats
Sophia's Law came into effect in the State of Minnesota on May 1, 2018. It was named for seven-year-old Sophia Baechler, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while boating on Wayzata Bay near Lake Minnetonka. A hole in an exhaust pipe leaked carbon monoxide into the cabin where Sophia went to lie down; she succumbed several minutes later.

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