Kidsafe and ECMS

ECMS - Early Childhood Management Services across Melbourne have joined Kidsafe's 'Kids In Hot Cars' campaign to help protect babies and small children from being left in life threatening situations.

Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS) have partnered with Kidsafe Victoria to place the safety signs at the entrance of every service in the ECMS network. This will see over six thousand families involved in the safety campaign daily to reinforce the Kids In Hot Cars safety message.

Melanie Courtney, CEO of Kidsafe Victoria and Bernie Nott, CEO of Early Childhood Management Services
with Jacob and Sam attach the safety sign this morning.

Melanie Courtney, CEO, Kidsafe Victoria speaks about the campaign on YouTube.
Click here for the YouTube interview

Melanie Courtney, CEO of Kidsafe Victoria and Bernie Nott, CEO of Early Childhood Management Services with a couple of young helpers attached the first sign of the campaign at St Vincent's Early Childhood Learning Centre this morning.

Mr. Nott said, "This important safety campaign will not only benefit children attending early learning programs, but we will be spreading the safety message with the Kidsafe newsletters and fact sheets to the broader community. We would also like to see the message integrated into educational programs for children and spread across the wider community.

Ms Courtney said, "Leaving children unattended in a car, even for a short period of time, can be fatal. On a typical Australian summer day, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature."

"Children are particularly at risk because they can lose fluid quickly, become dehydrated and suffer from heatstroke which can be life threatening."

Bernie Nott, CEO of Early Childhood Management Services with Sam and Jacob at the
St Vincent's Early Childhood Learning Centre this morning. 

 

Ms Courtney welcomed the partnership with Early Childhood Management Services saying it provided an important and vital link in getting the Kids in Hot Cars safety message through at a grass roots level.

"Despite the 'Kids in Hot Cars' issue being run for a number of years, Ambulance Victoria Paramedics were called to more than 1100 cases of children locked in cars in 2013. This was an increase of almost 200 from the previous year, with almost two thirds of calls to car parks, streets or public places."

"Even in the recent heat wave and after the widespread promotion of safety messages, we are still seeing the emergency services being called out to children whose lives are at risk, locked unattended in cars."

Following a number of child deaths and several years of Kidsafe campaigning, Victorian legislation now makes leaving a child unattended in a car a criminal offence.

"We would urge anyone who sees a baby or a toddler in a car on their own to raise the alarm and call authorities."

Information for parents and carers about the impact of leaving a child in a hot car is available on the Kidsafe website at www.kidsafevic.com.au and www.ecms.org.au

The fact sheet Kids in Hot Cars provides information and advice for parents about travelling with children during summer, including:
· Providing plenty of cool fluids to avoid dehydration during long trips;
· Dressing children appropriately in hot weather;
· Ensuring all children wear well fitted, and age appropriate restraints; and
· Planning travel in the cool hours of the day.

Share the Hot Cars graphic via Kidsafe Victoria Facebook page

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Share this link to FREE Hot Cars fact sheet for parents to download

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Media Communications, Kidsafe - Mobile: 0417 329 201