Smoke Signals
January 1993 Page 11
Project Home Safc.The Challenge
The Bureau of the Census estimates that from two to six
million children between the ages of six and thirteen return home from
school to homes where no adult is present. These so-called "latchkey
children" or children in self care, are on their own for several hours of
the day.
Latchkey children live in families where parents work outside
the home. These children in self-care, may be alone or may have the
responsibility of looking after their younger brothers and sisters.
Current projections indicate there maybe 35 million latchkey children
by 1995 if local communities do not respond with more effective
solutions.
Unsupervised children must be considered at risk. For
example, six thousand children each year die as a result of in-home
accidents and fires; in nearly every instance, there is no adult present.
Even when latchkey children escape physical harm, research indicates
that premature responsibility for self-care results in emotional scars.
Many child-care professionals believe that even those youngsters who
appear to develop self-reliance through self-care often miss valuable
opportunities to develop interests, talents, and personal skills that
could be of great future importance.
Recognizing the challenges faced by latchkey children, as
well as the many ways their plight affects society as a whole, the
American Home Economics Association, with funding from the
Whirlpool Foundation, launched Project Home Safe in an effort both
immediate and long-term solutions to a major social problem. The
choice ofhome economists to spearhead the project ensures professional
expertise to analyze and communicate the dimensions of the latchkey
crisis; to develop varied courses of action; to effect local solutions to
local problems; and to assist children through critical growth and
development stages. Project Home Safe will be implemented by
volunteer home economists nationwide.
Home Safety Tips for
Children in Self-Care
JANUARY MEALSITE MENU
TUESDAY, JAN. 5 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6 LjRSDAY, JAN. 7
Chicken Pot Pie Hamburger Macaron, Salad Salmon Patties
Pears & Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Buttered Rice
Peanut Butter Cookies Celery Sticks T
Bread & Butter Peaches Spinach
Garlic Bread X. i . n. jj
Chocolate Pudding
TUESDAY, JAN. 12 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 JT1 S Y JAR 14
Dinner Casserole COOK'S CHOICE wT? . ,
j c i j Mashed Potatoes
Tossed Salad n
Jell-o wBananas D , ...
Bread Butter Bread Puddmg
TUESDAY, JAN 19 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20 THURSDAY, JAN 2 1
Boiled Ham Dinner Oyster Stew
Cottage Cheese wJell-o Toasted Chccse Sands- ?pl Jocs
Spice Cake Carrot Salad Cole Slaw
Bread & Butter Butterscotch Pudding TaterTots
Cheese Cake
TUESDAY, JAN. 26 WENESDAY, JAN. 27 THURSDAY, JAN. 28
Chicken & Dumplings Macaroni & Cheese Roast Porl
Buttered Corn Stewed Tomatoes Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Tossed Salad Broccoli Asparagus
Jell-o wCrushed Pineapple Sugar Cookies Apple Sauce
Cake & Ice Cream
Birthdays for January Mary Lane ELDERS' MEETING
JesseBahr Dorothy Lane
Raymond Carlton Maxine Leno
Eleanor Catabay 0rvine Len0
Edith Cunningham Velma Mercier
Irene Curl Catherine Russell
Edwina Hawks James Smith
Earnest Hoffer Joseph Vicenzi
Herman Hudson, Jr.
Although many parents fear kidnapping and drugs
as the greatest threats to their children's safety, accidents and
fires account for far more injuries and deaths among children.
Therefore, safety at home should be a top priority i n preparing
your child for self-care.
Before your child stays home alone, you and your
child should do a home safety check together, Check to see
that:
All doors and windows can be locked and that your child can
work the locks.
A list of emergency numbers is posted near each phone.
A11 dangerous items are out of reach of young children,
including: poisonous products (drain cleaner, alcohol, etc--mark
them "poison"), poisonous plants, medicines,
vitamins, aspirin, laxatives, etc., matches and flammable
materials.
Electrical cords are out of the way where they can't be
tripped over.
There is at least one smoke detector on each level of your
home, and all are working properly with batteries.
Your family has fire escape plans and practices fire drills.
Your child knows the safest place to go in the event of a
severe weather warning (tornado, etc.).
In some communities, fire or health departments
provide information or assistance for home safety checks.
In addition to doing a home safety check, it is also
important to teach your children how to prevent accidents
and injuries by being careful around the house. Decide what
home safety rules are important in your home. Then, you and
your children should talk about those rules so that they
understand and follow them.
Common home safety rules include:
Pick up toys, games, and other things on the floor that aren't
in use.
Stay away from matches and fire.
Use only those appliances a parent said is OK to use.
Walk, don't run in the house.
Never play with electric appliances or their power cords.
Wipe up spills right away.
Stand on a sturdy stool when reaching for things up high.
Resources On Safety For Children in Self-Care
Child Alone (6 pages)
National Safety council
444 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 6061 1
Cost: Free
Your Home Safety Checklist (2 pages)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington, D.C. 20207
Cost: Free
Send a request for the publication to the above address.
Safe at Home, Safe Alone (64 pages)
Miles River Press
1009 Duke Street, Washington, D.C. 20036
Cost: $1.00
Send a check to the address above.
What If I'm Home Alone?
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
1111 16th Street, Washington, D.C. 20036
Cost: $1.00
Send check to address above.
Reader's Poem
"Spring"
With each March migrating geese
start North in giant flocks.
The warming, soft Spring breeze
Breaks ice sheets into blocks.
The ice floats ever downward
the lakes and streams soon clear.
The geese now headed homeward
make music for the ear.
I have listened every year,
for over fifty Springs,
for this music loud and clear,
amid the whispering wings.
If, within this lifetime, the geese
should cease to fly,
I know a vital part of me
would wither up and die.
I often awake from pleasant dreams
to feel the beat of far off wings,
to high to hear, yet clear.
A vibrant part of Spring.
As vibrant as the warming days,
the first born blacktail fawn,
the budding trees that clearly say,
"come out, for Winter's gone. "
-Condensed from the poem, "Spring"
contributed bv Ron Zumwalt.