Toys"R"Us, Inc. Partners with Home Safety Council(R) to Help Parents Keep Children Safe at Home

Toys R Us
Published: August 11th, 2009

Company Introduces Expanded Safety Shops in Babies"R"Us Stores Nationwide, Featuring a Room-by-Room Guide to Baby-Proofing the Home

WAYNE, N.J., Aug. 11 // PRNewswire // -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced it has partnered with the Home Safety Council, the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing unintentional home-related injuries that result in nearly 21 million medical visits each year. Together, the two organizations will provide tools and resources to further raise awareness about the importance and urgency of creating a safe home environment for children. In a recent study conducted by the Home Safety Council, 95% of parents said they took measures to baby-proof their homes, but an alarming 50% waited until their children were already crawling, putting these little ones at risk to dangers around the house.

In conjunction with this announcement, and to amplify the importance of baby-proofing the home before a child is mobile, expanded Safety shops have been introduced in Babies"R"Us stores nationwide. These shops put safety front and center and provide parents with a broad range of baby safety products and a room-by-room guide to baby-proofing the home.

"Safety is, and always has been, our company's highest priority, and this partnership with the Home Safety Council pairs safety expertise with baby product knowledge to help parents and caregivers create a safe home environment for their children," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "We are pleased to join with the Home Safety Council in encouraging parents to make baby-proofing the home one of the most important steps in preparing for the arrival of a newborn."

"Parents often don't realize that baby-proofing the home should begin before the baby is born and that safety products should be at the top of all gift lists," said Meri-K Appy, President of the Home Safety Council. "We are delighted to partner with Toys"R"Us, Inc. to reach millions of expectant parents with important information about keeping their homes safe for little ones."

Company Offers New Safety Shop with a Room-by-Room Approach to Baby-Proofing the Home

Featuring a vast array of baby-proofing items, the new Safety shops are positioned at the front of Babies"R"Us stores. The products are organized into the following categories to help parents make informed decisions on their home baby-proofing needs.

• Home Safety: This section has everything parents and caregivers need to baby-proof all the rooms in their homes, from door locks and stove knob covers to toilet locks and fireplace guards. Safety gates and monitors, including the Day & Night Handheld Color Video Monitor by Summer Infant((R)),( )can also be found in this area.
• Furniture Safety: Parents, family and friends of little ones should always secure large and small pieces of furniture against the wall in the nursery and living spaces. This area also includes television locks, like the Professional Grade Flat Screen TV Lock by Safety 1st((R)), to ensure gadgets in the home are secure.
• Clean and Safe: Parents can safeguard their families in the bathroom, kitchen and beyond with a broad assortment of cleaning solutions and hygiene products, including the BabyGanics((TM)) line, which includes everything from household cleaners to hand sanitizers that are safe for people and the environment.

In addition to the above-listed home safety items, Babies"R"Us offers many more safety products, including car safety seats, bedrails and first aid care needs. In-store signs, featuring a new "Trust Us for Safety" seal with the company's iconic backwards "R" logo, help direct parents and caregivers to the wide assortment of safety merchandise that is located throughout the store. Knowledgeable Babies"R"Us sales associates can provide parents with expert advice on choosing the right safety products for their home.

Baby-Proofing Tips and Resources

As the nation's premier baby products retailer, Babies"R"Us offers not only the broadest assortment of products designed to keep homes safe for children, but also provides valuable safety resources for parents. A new baby safety brochure, developed in collaboration with the company's safety partners, is available in Babies"R"Us stores across the country and on the company's Safety website at Toysrus.com/Safety. This informational brochure includes valuable tips for baby-proofing the home, a checklist of necessary safety items, and advice for sleep, crib and toy safety.

Below are some of the key baby-proofing tips found in the brochure:

• Nursery/Bedroom: Create a safe place for baby to sleep. Always put babies on their backs to sleep, alone in the crib. Remove pillows, comforters, pillow-like bumper pads, stuffed toys and other soft products from the crib before putting baby to sleep to prevent suffocation.
• Kitchen: Children should stay at least three feet away from the stove to prevent burns and parents should use knob covers to keep little hands from accidentally igniting burners. Make sure child safety caps are tightly secured on all chemicals, medications and cleaning products. Store all cleaners, medicines, alcohol and other dangerous items, like matches and lighters, in cabinets with child safety locks or latches.
• Bathroom: Babies and children have delicate skin, so use a thermometer to test the water to prevent burns before they get in the bathtub. Locks should be used on the toilet to keep the lid down and on the outside of the bathroom door to keep children out. Use bath mats to prevent serious injury from a fall.
• Living Room: Looped, low-hanging blind cords are a strangulation hazard. Use blind cord wind-ups, and tie window blind cords high out of children's reach. Use electrical outlet covers to prevent children from sticking objects in the outlet and causing electric shock.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. It currently sells merchandise in more than 1,500 stores, including 847 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, and more than 700 international stores in 33 countries, consisting of both licensed and franchised stores. In addition, it sells extraordinary toys in two FAO Schwarz stores in the United States. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com, it provides shoppers with an unparalleled online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. In addition, the company operates ePregnancy.com, an online resource for parents. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 72,000 associates worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

About Home Safety Council

The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC. Learn more home safety tips at HomeSafetyCouncil.org.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.