Toys"R"Us, Inc. And Safe Kids Worldwide Partner To Offer Tips To Help Parents Keep Kids Safe While On-The-Go

Toys R Us
Published: January 29th, 2009

Parents and Caregivers Urged to Practice Simple Travel Safety Measures to Prevent Unintentional Childhood Injuries and Deaths

January 29, 2009 // Franchising.com // Wayne, NJ -- Whether it's a quick trip to the store, an extended vacation, a sleepover at Grandma's or a stay at a hotel, creating a safe environment for young travelers takes careful preparation. To help prevent childhood injuries while on-the-go and away from home, Toys"R"Us, Inc. has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide, the world's leading childhood injury prevention organization, to offer parents and caregivers valuable travel safety tips.

"We love kids, and helping parents create fun, happy memories for their children is at the heart of what we do at Toys"R"Us. To that end, we remain committed to helping keep children safe at all times, including while traveling," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "We hope parents and caregivers will utilize the valuable safety information we have developed with Safe Kids Worldwide to help ensure family trips and vacations with little ones are enjoyable and injury-free."

From planning for the journey to making sure kids have everything they need to be safe and happy when they arrive at their final destination, preparation is required for every stage of the trip. Following are highlights of the tips available at www.Toysrus.com/Safety to help parents and caregivers create and maintain a safe environment for kids of all ages while away from home:

• Getting There: Whether traveling by plane or car, simple safety measures will help ensure kids enjoy a fun and harmless ride. Recommendations for safely securing children while on the road or in the air are included, as are tips for traveling with proper gear that is easy to carry and useful throughout the entire trip. Suggestions are also available to keep children engaged and occupied along the way.
• On-the-Go Sleep: Ensuring babies have a safe sleeping environment when they are away requires the same vigilance as it does at home. As always, the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a crib certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) with a firm mattress and a well-fitting sheet. Parents are advised to bring their own bed for the baby, such as a portable crib or playard. If a trip requires relying on a hotel's crib, parents are urged to inspect it carefully for broken or missing parts and look up the model on www.Recalls.gov to make sure it isn't subject to any safety notices.
• On-the-Go Meals: Mealtime on vacation or away from home can mean relying on unfamiliar highchairs or utensils that aren't baby-friendly. To minimize risk of spills and accidents, tips about properly securing small children in highchairs and traveling with the right utensils and food containers are provided.
• In a Crowd: When in large crowds, active supervision is more important than ever. Whenever possible, parents and caregivers should take precautionary measures prior to being in a crowded environment with their children, such as dressing them in brightly colored clothes so they are easy to spot. Also included are rules to set with children about their behavior in large crowds.

"When families are enjoying time away together, it can be easy to let important safety routines fall by the wayside. Safety requires constant vigilance, especially in unfamiliar places where children face unknown hazards," said Mitch Stoller, President and CEO, Safe Kids Worldwide. "Taking the simple precautionary steps outlined in the tips we've developed with Toys"R"Us will help ensure safe travels."

A broad assortment of safety items - from car seats and first aid kits to baby monitors and sleepsacks - are available at Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores nationwide and on www.Toysrus.com. In addition, trained and knowledgeable employees are always on hand to provide parents with the necessary information to help them find everything they need to keep children safe.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer. Currently it sells merchandise through more than 1,500 stores, including 847 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the U.S., more than 700 international stores in 33 countries, which includes licensed and franchise stores.