Red Cross Instructor Offers Child Safety Tips

This past week, au pairs from countries around the world, including Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Japan, Thailand, Mexico and Brazil met locally for an informative meeting on baby and child safety in Williston Park put on by Au Pair Care, a leading au pair agency designated by the department of sate, which provides American families with affordable, flexible, live-in childcare and cultural exchange.

As an integral part of Au Pair Care’s safety training, au pairs receive CPR training and certification and extensive safety training when they arrive in the US and throughout the year.

“In my opinion, safely caring for children is the most important responsibility a person can have,” Ann Koster, Au Pair Care Area Director and mother of six said.

“Learning basic life-saving skills helps people feel more confident of their ability to act appropriately in the event of an emergency,” guest speaker Linda Zuccaro, a certified Red Cross instructor, said. Zuccaro’s presentation covered preventing accidents, ways to handle emergency situations should they occur, the proper way to perform the Heimlich maneuver and reviewed CPR techniques.

Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of five, the most common cause in young children being food.

Zuccaro advised that young children should never be eating or drinking in a car and whenever a child is eating they should be sitting and closely supervised. Toys and household items can also be a choking hazard. Being aware of the risks and taking precautions will help to prevent these accidents from happening.

The second leading cause of accidental death in school-age children is and can happen anytime of the year. Children are especially drawn to water and can drown in as little as 2 inches. Learning to swim, making children aware of safe behavior in and around water and as parents being vigilant will help to avoid most water-related accidents. Any individual responsible for the care of a young child should be trained in first aid and CPR.

Zuccaro is affiliated with the Wellness Center in Mineola and teaches monthly workshops covering CPR for infants and children, choking, drowning, poisoning, SIDS prevention, and more. For more information email zuccali@yahoo.com or contract the au pair program through Ann Koster akoster@aupaircare.com or visit www.aupaircare.com or www.parentsrtalking.com.