Consumer Product Safety - Recalled Products in Child Care Settings

Since its inception in 1971, the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), along with industry, has issued many recalls of products that are considered potentially unsafe for children. Some products have been responsible for death and injury to children in child care settings. The recalled product inspection program assesses the presence of recalled products in childcare settings by conducting a physical survey of each facility in conjunction with routine health and safety inspections. If a recalled product is found during inspection, the operator is given information on the product along with a contract for the repair or replacement. The staff anticipates that by the end of FY2003, all facilities will have been surveyed.

The goal of this program is to improve the safety of child care centers in Idaho by making sure that recalled products are removed.

In 2001, the national reported unintentional child injury rate was 12,999 per 100,000 children, and 6 of the top 10 causes of injury could occur in a childcare setting. In calendar year 2002, health department staff conducted routine health and safety inspections in 740 facilities caring for 6,775 children, 35 percent of whom were under the age of 36 months. The number of children in each facility ranged from 1 to 106. Across the state, almost 50 percent of all facilities surveyed have had at least one recalled product. In some cases, facilities may have had many recalled products. This program not only helps to remove potentially harmful items from childcare facilities, it also provides an opportunity to better educate the facility operators about various recalled products.