The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia has adopted Kidsafe as its trading name. Kidsafe was established in the year 1979 by an assemblage of legal, health and business professionals centreed on averting accidental injuries to children. Kidsafe NSW Inc. is housed at Kidsafe House on The Children's Hospital grounds at Westmead. It is a child playspace and safety demonstration house and offers an excellent opportunity for carers; parents; students; industry; and health professionals to acquire a better perception of safety around and in the home.
As a not-for-profit charity non-government organization, Kidsafe is globally recognized as a leader in prevention of injury and has working relationships with the government, advocacy and research organizations across the globe, such as Safekids Worldwide, the Child Accident Prevention Trust in the UK as well as partner organizations throughout the globe.
Kidsafe operates at the nationwide level with partners like government departments, the media, industry bodies, health professionals, education providers, voluntary organizations and community groups in addressing child safety injury matters.
The Vision
A world that is safer for kids
The Aim
Preventing child deaths from unintended injury and reducing the severity of unintentional injury to children between ages 0 and 14 years.
The Mission
To assume a leadership role in the prevention of child injury through research, advocacy, education and strategic partnerships.
Home and Community Safety
Kidsafe NSW is committed to the reduction of the severity and number of unintended child injuries via promotion of child safety.
Children safety could be effected by:
- Lack of supervision by adults: For example carer or parents might over-estimate the abilities of their child to cope in diverse environments or situations or misjudge the danger potential in various environments and situations to children.
- Environmental conditions that are unsafe: For instance, access to dangerous situations and items that are unsuitable to the child's stage of development and understanding.
- Inappropriate activities: For instance, utilizing a pair of scissors. A tiny kid might not be conscious of the dangers that item involves. The activity of using scissors does not match the child’s stage of development and abilities.
Bear in mind: kids are extremely curious and they grab every opening to experience and learn their environment. They could get out of your sight incredibly fast!
Playground Safety
The Playground Advisory Unit (PAU) is a prime agency providing impartial safety, technical, and design information services across NSW to all groups.
The PAU project officers hold combined experience and qualifications in Children's Services, Landscape Architecture and Workplace Health and Safety. The project officers have know-how in carrying out playground inspections being Level Three Comprehensive Playground Inspectors and they are holders of Certificate IV Training and Education qualification.
The Playground Advisory Unit aims to boost the safe number of creative play environments aligned with Australian Standards (AS) for playgrounds. Kidsafe NSW works with Playground Advisory Unit to achieve this goal through the following activities:
- Promoting participation in physical and recreational activities;
- Encouraging the development of creative and challenging play environments;
- Encouraging natural features inclusion of in playspaces;
- Promoting best practice and good quality playground design;
- Demonstrating a holistic approach to design and management of playground;
- Encouraging best practice playground inspection regimes and maintenance;
Road Safety
Vehicles and roads are daily part of us all. Either as a passenger, a driver, or a pedestrian, we all have to negotiate on a daily basis the road traffic atmosphere. Children are particularly vulnerable around roads and vehicles due to their capabilities and size.
Kidsafe NSW works to make you aware of the possible opportunities of teaching children to be safer road-users. Such opportunities include:
- Walking to the local shop for the newspaper or family groceries with your kids whenever you can.
- Parking the car and walking around to the local sports ground, and on the way explaining about the choices and observations you make so as to get there safely.
- Always demonstrating safe and responsible behaviours as a passenger, while driving and whilst walking anywhere near roads and vehicles.
- Pointing out road rules when driving.
- Talking about the significance of wearing car seat belts and insisting that everybody in the car wears suitable restraints for their size and age.
- Remembering kids learn good habits through modeling behaviour learnt from the adults.
Water Safety
Whether on holiday, at home or visiting friends and family, it is always vital to have safety in your mind whenever kids are near or in water.
Drowning has been documented as the leading cause of death for children under 5 years. Drowning could happen quietly and quickly, without giving you any warning noises. Regrettably, on the average, each week in Australia, one child dies due to preventable drowning.
Left unattended, children could easily drown in:
- Shallow water
- Bath tubs
- Spas
- Swimming pools
- Dams and lakes
- Oceans, rivers and creeks
It is also possible for children to drown in locations that are less obvious:
- Toilets
- Water tanks
- Fish ponds
- Pets’ water bowls
- Nappy buckets
- Water features
Grow me Safely
Kidsafe NSW appreciates the importance of gardening with kids to inspire creativity, role model safe practices, build life skills, learn to grow and harvest food, and acquire a respect for nature. The ‘Grow me safely’ initiative was developed to offer information for parents, carers and educators to engage kids in gardening activities. The provided information is supported by injury statistics and data.
Sponsors and Partners
Kidsafe NSW gets funding from a variety of Government Departments and gets sponsorship and support from organizations, corporate agencies, individuals and business. This is a not-for-profit charity establishment and relies on funding, grants, donations and sponsorship to deliver quality resources and programs to the community.
Donating
Kidsafe NSW welcomes sponsorship and donations towards making New South Wales state a safer place for children. Your generous contribution assists them in continuing many of their community research and education programs and to commence new initiatives.
Become a Hero
You could become a Kidsafe NSW fundraising hero through building your own individual fundraising page. This takes only a couple of minutes in building and then email to your contacts to begin fundraising to assist in preventing accidental death or injury to children.
