By George Fusner, Jr., Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Starting December 2012, all Tennessee day care centers must have new cribs with greater safety standards. The old cribs with the drop-side railings that have been proved deadly for babies in rare instances will be no longer acceptable; this type of crib was associated with 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000.
Although the old cribs will be allowed in child care centers for another year and a half, some Tennessee day care centers are not waiting for inspectors from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to demand the upgrade. Lesley Hosford, owner of seven child care centers in Williamson County has already arranged for her first delivery of the new cribs in two weeks. The new cribs that were manufactured according to stricter guidelines established by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission became available June 28.
The assistant commissioner for the State of Tennessee – Department of Human Services, Robert L. Matthews, said the agency will notify every Tennessee child care center in the state via email about the new requirements. The agency’s staff will also inform the centers about the new changes during yearly site visits. Matthews also said that the new requirements are going to be costly for child care centers across the state. Costs for the new cribs range between $200 and $900 at USA Baby & Kids in Franklin. For more information on this topic, see TN prepares for more stricter crib rules at child care centers.