Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Stephanie Brown and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Georgia and Other States, children in day care centers as well as homes and elsewhere suffering personal injuries and, in some instances, even death from unsafe or broken toys. In light of these days, the Georgia Department of Human Resources – Department of Family & Children Services enacted regulations for Toys for Children in day care centers. There is a specific section on Toys for Children Under the Age of 3 due to the increased risk of choking and other problems with toys for children in this age range. Pursuant to Chapter 290-2-2-.12 (ff), Physical Environment and Equipment, Rules and Regulations for the State of Georgia, all toys used (played with) by children under the age of three shall be:
*Easily cleaned by the staff at the day care center;
*Free from toxins and lead free (Day care centers should be on the look out for tainted toys. There were many lead based toys imported from China over the past few years);
*Free from sharp edges, pieces, and points that could be removed by a child;
*Large enough to prevent swallowing and related episodes of choking and asphyxiation;
*Free from rust; and
*Dutifully cleaned with a disinfectant daily.
These regulations make sense and are in place for the safety and protection of a child. These regulations can be challenging to some day care center that have a variety of age ranges in the day care center and that fail to segregate or separate the toys so that the young children are not exposed to nor have access to unsafe toys for their age range.
You can read more about the rules and regulations for toys in Georgia day care centers at Chapter 290-2-2-.12 (ff), Physical Environment and Equipment, Rules and Regulations for the State of Georgia Chapter 290-2 – Rules and Regulations for the State of Georgia – Department of Human Resources – Family & Children Service – Child Care Institutions.