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 What is SafeStart? | SafeStart is a child injury prevention project funded by the Department of Human Services, Victoria in the City of Greater Geelong.
The main purpose of the project is to develop strategies to minimize the risk of unintentional injuries amongst children aged between 0-8 years, such as falls, poisoning, burns, scalds, road accidents, and other potential hazards to children's safety.
| | Why SafeStart? | Injuries are the leading cause of death in Australian children aged one to fourteen, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in this age group. More children die of injury than die of cancer, asthma and infectious diseases combined.
Each year about 300 Australian children (aged 0-14 years) are killed and 60,000 hospitalised by unintentional injuries - the kind often referred to as ‘accidents'. Many of these can be easily prevented by simple means.
The costs of childhood injury are considerable. In addition to the physical, emotional and social implications of childhood injury, it is estimated that child injuries cost the nation over 1.5 billion dollars annually.
Young children under the age of five years are most at risk of unintentional injury, and account for around half of all child injury deaths.
Most childhood injuries happen in the home. It is one place however where prevention is in our own hands. Common childhood injuries vary enormously and can be caused in a variety of ways including fire, burns and scalds, poisoning, falls, poorly designed products/play equipment, drowning, serious cuts and puncture wounds, choking/aspiration. However, many of these unintentional injuries are preventable.
Reliable estimates suggest a 80 deaths and 20,000 hospitalisations could be prevented annually, simply by implementing known safety prevention measures and strategies.
Ensuring the safety of our homes, roads and communities is vital for keeping children safe.
| | What Will SafeStart Do? | SafeStart is designed to reduce the incidence of unintentional childhood injury throughout the City of Greater Geelong. Injuries such as those caused by nursery equipment, falls, burns, poisonings, drownings and road traffic accidents are a key focus of the Safestart Project.
The project will work in close collaboration with a wide range of community groups and early childhood environments Priority areas will include children's homes, early childhood services (such as maternal and child health, childcare, family day care, kindergartens, primary schools, leisure and children recreation services, etc) to design and implement strategies that increase safety of children and reduce the incidence of unintentional injuries.
| | Key SafeStart Project Objectives | - Reduce the incidence of unintentional injuries amongst young children.
- Increase community awareness and understanding of child safety.
- Increase use of relevant safety products, resources, and prevention strategies.
- Form local partnerships which build child injury prevention strategies into community programs, services, policies and planning.
- Distribute child safety information and resources to parents, carers and service providers.
- Evaluate interventions amongst specific local communities and target groups.
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What things are already happening to help reduce and prevent childhood injury in the
City of Greater Geelong. | - Providing child safety information through Maternal and Child Health Centres and conducting child safety education classes as part of first time parent education groups
- Providing child safety training for health, family and children's service providers
- Ensuring all Council operated children's services are compliant with relevant safety design service standards and regulations, and operate according to best practice safety policies and procedures
- Continuing upgrading of children's playgrounds and play equipment
- Provision of learn to swim and water safety programs for children through Council aquatic centres
- Provision of road and community safety promotion and program initiatives
- Clearly defined risk assessment policies and procedures associated with Council services and events for children and families to minimize potential risks and/or safety concerns
| | Contact Information | Megan Urlichs
SafeStart Project Officer
City of Greater Geelong
Ph: 5227 0975
Email: murlichs@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
Angela Baum
Early Childhood Development Officer
SafeStart
City of Greater Geelong
Ph: 5227 0816
Email: abaum@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
For further information about children's safety or children's safety resources visit any of the following websites: |
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