Communicating Safety Laws With Caregivers

The majority of parents have some type of help when it comes to childcare. Whether you use a full-time daycare provider, a family member who helps out after school, or an ex-partner who takes part-time parenting duties, it is important to keep the lines of communication open. After all, it takes a village to raise a child…and keeping your village informed of safety laws and concerns assures the child is raised safely.

Stay informed on current safety laws.
First and foremost, be sure you are up to date on all child safety laws, guidelines, and recommendations. For example, Illinois recently changed the law regarding rear-facing car seats. Now, all children under the age of 2 must sit in a rear-facing car seat, unless the child is over 40 inches tall or over 40 pounds. While the initial ticket amount was set at $75, lawmakers changed the proposal to allow the authorities to make the decision based on each individual situation.

The rear-facing car seat law went into effect rather quickly, and most parents found out via viral Facebook post or by catching it on the morning news. Assure you are working with your pediatrician and network of parents to keep up with laws or recalls that could affect your child, your house, or your car.

Inform caregivers about safety measures as well.

Now that you are confident you are updated on current child safety laws and recommendations, it is time to make sure your child is safe when in the care of others. When you find out new information, readily share it with those who also care for your child. You may want to write a note to your child’s daycare provider or shoot a text message with a news article to your ex-partner in regards to safety laws or recalls. Resist the temptation to skip it to avoid a confrontation or hard feelings, instead bringing along links to articles or brochures from your pediatrician to support your requests.

Are you struggling to find a communication strategy that works with your ex-partner, or are you just beginning to hash out a child custody agreement that both parties agree to? Contact us at Gandhi Selim Law. We have years of experience litigating family law cases, keeping our clients and the children, at the forefront of the discussion. Call us to set up your free consultation today.