Several factors are considered in determining the level of safety in a home.  These are the seven occurrences that families are at risk of experiencing in their homes:

-Falls

–Poisonings

–Fires 

- Burns

–Choking/Suffocation

–Drowning

- Poisoning

According to the Home Safety Council recent studies show that while almost all parents (99 percent) feel it’s important to keep their family safe at home, very few are taking all of the recommended steps to prevent home injuries. Nearly half (49 percent)  of caregivers have not installed a carbon monoxide alarm in their home. 40 percent of parents do not store medications in high cabinets secured with cabinet locks.

Here are a couple of ” Home Safety Tips”:

To prevent falls: Have bright lights over stairs and steps and on landings. Keep stairs clear of clutter

To prevent fires and burns: Have working smoke alarms and hold fire drills. If you build a new home, install fire sprinklers.

To prevent choking and suffocation: Things that can fit through a toilet paper tube can cause a young child to choke. Keep coins, latex balloons and hard round foods, such as peanuts and hard candy where children cannot see or touch them.

For more information on “Home Safety Month” and tips and resources for keeping families safe in domestic settings, please visit  www.homesafetycouncil.org .

Most often, when there is evidence of spousal abuse or animal abuse, children are also being abused.  The following are alarming facts about child abuse and neglect in the United States.

If you suspect any child abuse, neglect, or endangerment please adhere to the following procedures:

• CALL THE HOTLINE AT 1-800-392-3738, The Children’s Division staff this hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They will take information from you and respond to child abuse and neglect. If you live outside Missouri and want to report abuse or neglect of a Missouri child, call (573) 751-3448.
• HAVE COMPLETE INFORMATION, Children’s Division needs specific information to be able to respond to a complaint of abuse or neglect. Be sure you have:
  • the name of the child
  • the name of the parent(s)
  • the name of the alleged abuser
  • where the child can be located

  You will also be asked:

  • Is the child in a life-threatening situation now?
  • How do you know about the abuse/neglect?
  • Did you witness the abuse/neglect?
  • Were there other witnesses and how can they be contacted?

• Notice to Mandated Reporters, Effective August 28, 2004: If you are required to report child abuse or neglect because of your occupation, you may no longer make an anonymous call to the Hotline.
• CONSIDER IDENTIFYING YOURSELF, If you are not required by occupation to report, you don’t have to identify yourself when you make a hotline call, however being able to contact you later helps CD workers do a more thorough investigation. They may need to ask you for more information during the investigation process.

For more information on reporting child abuse, please contact the Missouri Division of Social and Senior Services athttp://www.dss.mo.gov/cd/rptcan.htm

To recive more information on the Presidents visit to MO, please visit http://www.kmov.com/news/local/President-Obama-to-visit-St-Charles-on-Wednesday-87034042.html

Action and awarness is crucial to saving lives. With such organizations as the American Heart Association, we can educate and provide resources to begin fighting heart disease.

Four Simple Things You Can Do to Healthy-Start Your Heart

Get Active: If you are overweight, make sure you are active at least one hour a day.

Eat Better: Make sure you eat the correct portions and reduce your cholesterol intake.

Stop Smoking: Smoking by itself increases the risk of heart disease. By quitting you reduce your risk of heart disease dramatically.

Lose Weight: By making a conscious choice to lose weight, you can lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels, which all factor into heart disease.

For more information on heart disease prevention, please visit: www.americanheart.org

Heat Up/ Cool Down St. Louis provides a safety net in a region which often does not have enough federal, state or utility funds to help keep the needy connected to their utility services. It was to my surprise that the public was so generous when donating funds to a great cause. During this time of economic crisis, many people are in need of assistance in any way possible.

Heat Up / Cool Down St. Louis services these areas:

St. Louis City & County, St. Charles County, Lincoln County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, St. Clare County (IL), St. Genevieve County, Iron County, Madison County, and Butler County.

For more information about Heat Up/ Cool Down St. Louis, please visit www.heatupstlouis.org