Distracted Adult Information
During the 2018 legislative session, a new law was passed that requires child care facilities, family day care homes and large family child care homes to provide parents, during the months of April and September each year, with information regarding the potential for distracted adults to fail to drop off a child at the facility/home and instead leave them in the adult’s vehicle upon arrival at the adult’s destination.
A change in daily routine, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, cell phone use, and simple distractions are some things parents experience and can be contributing factors as to why children have been left unknowingly in vehicles...
Facts About Heatstroke:
It only takes a car 10 minutes to heat up 20 degrees and become deadly.
Even with a window cracked, the temperature inside a vehicle can cause heatstroke.
The body temperature of a child increases 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s body.
Prevention Tips:
Never leave your child alone in a car and call 911 if you see any child locked in a car!
Make a habit of checking the front and back seat of the car before you walk away.
Be especially mindful during hectic or busy times, schedule or route changes, and periods of emotional stress or chaos.
Create reminders by putting something in the back seat that you will need at work, school or home such as a briefcase, purse, cell phone or your left shoe.
Keep a stuffed animal in the baby’s car seat and place it on the front seat as a reminder when the baby is in the back seat.
Set a calendar reminder on your electronic device to make sure you dropped your child off at child care.
Make it a routine to always notify your child’s child care provider in advance if your child is going to be late or absent; ask them to contact you if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
Developed by: Florida Department of Children and Families
Office of Child Care Regulation