Parenting: Don't Leave Your Child in the Hot Car Message from Child Abuse Prevention

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The stories of children dying in cars makes me sick and angry.

Here's a letter from the

They are urging parents and caregivers during this scorching heat not to leave their child in the car, not even for a minute.

"There is no safe length of time to leave a child alone in a car", says Kelley Parris- Barnes, Director of Alabama Department of Child Abuse Prevention. "Babies and small children have a very immature respiratory system, and do not have the same ability to withstand heat as adults do. Their organs shut down faster, dehydration sets in rapidly, and it can quickly become an unintentional tragedy."

Experts say that within the first 5 minutes, the temperature in an enclosed vehicle will raise an average of 20 degrees. Within 30 minutes, the heat can spike as high as 40 degrees.

To keep children in your community safe, the Department urges keeping car doors locked at all times, especially when left in the driveway or garage. Other tips include:

  • When a child is missing, check vehicles and car trunks immediately.
  • Make sure all child passengers have left the vehicle after it is parked.
  • Put something you'll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee badge, lunch or brief case on the floor board in the back seat.
  • Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure no child has been left behind.
  • Use drive-thru services when available. (Restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners)
  • If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
  • Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.

The Alabama Department of Child Abuse Prevention "Children's Trust Fund" is the only state agency that is designated to solely focus on the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Alabama.

So what would you do if you spotted a child in a car unattended?   Have you ever had to deal with type of situation.....

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