Severe Weather Safety

Spring time is around the corner and so is severe weather season, especially for us living in the Midwest.
Tornadoes can be scary the first time you hear the sirens going off and the sky turns green and then the winds whip up. With awareness and preparedness you should be in good shape.

What is the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning?

TORNADO WATCH means:
Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your emergency plans, and check supplies and your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching. Acting early helps to save lives! 

TORNADO WARNING means:

A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Tornado warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property. Go immediately underground to a basement, storm cellar or an interior room (closet, hallway or bathroom). 

*During any storm, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about watches and warnings.

*Know your community’s warning system. Communities have different ways of warning residents about tornados, with   many having sirens intended for outdoor warning purposes.

* Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes or other severe winds.
*Do not seek shelter in a hallwayor close to windows.

* Pick a safe room in your home where household members and pets may gather during a tornado. This should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

* Practice periodic tornado drills so that everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.

*If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly and call the   gas company or fire department.

* Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
* Keep all of your animals under your direct control.
* Clean up spilled medications, bleaches, gasoline or other flammable liquids that could become a fire hazard.
* Check for injuries. If you are trained, provide first aid to persons in need until emergency responders arrive.

*Consider having your safe room reinforced. Plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection can be found on the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov/ plan/prevent/rms/rmsp453.shtm.

* Watch for tornado danger signs:

*Dark, often greenish clouds—a phenomenon caused by hail

* Wall cloud—an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm

• Cloud of debris
  
• Large hail
  
• Funnel cloud—a visible rotating
  

Fire Safety and Children

Control Kids' Access to Fire

• Keep all matches and lighters out of the hands of children. If possible, keep these sources of fire in locked drawers. Consider buying only "child-proof" lighters—but be aware that no product is completely child-proof.
• Children as young as two years old can strike matches and start fires.
• Never leave children unattended near operating stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.
• Teach children not to pick up matches or lighters they may find. Instead, they should tell an adult immediately.
•   
• Fire Safety at Home
• Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, especially near sleeping areas.
• Smoke alarms should be kept clean of dust by regularly vacuuming over and around them.
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. And replace the entire unit after ten years of service, or as the manufacturer recommends.
• Families should plan and practice two escape routes from each room of their home.
• Regularly inspect the home for fire hazards.
• If there are adults in the home who smoke, they should use heavy safety ashtrays and discard ashes and butts in metal, sealed containers or the toilet.
• If there is a fireplace in the home, the entire opening should be covered by a heavy safety screen. The chimney should be professionally inspected and cleaned annually.
• Children should cook only under the supervision of an adult or with their permission.
• Children should never play with electrical cords or electrical sockets. They should ask adults for help plugging in equipment.
• Children should stay away from radiators and heaters, and they should be taught that these devices are not toys. Young children in particular must be taught not to play with or drop anything into space heaters. Nothing should be placed or stored on top of a heater.
• Pots on stovetops should always have their handles turned toward the center of the stove, where children cannot reach up and pull or knock them off.
• Teach children to turn off lights, stereos, TVs, and other electrical equipment when they are finished using them. In the case of room heaters, children should ask an adult to turn it off when the room will be empty.
• Children should never touch matches, lighters, or candles. If they find matches or lighters within reach, they should ask an adult to move them
• No one should stand too close to a fireplace or wood stove or other types of heaters, where clothes could easily catch fire.

Warning Signs

• Evidence of fire play, such as burnt matches, clothes, paper, toys, etc., or if you smell smoke in hair or clothes.
• Inappropriate interest in firefighters and/or fire trucks, such as frequent, improper calls to the fire department or 9-1-1.
• Child asks or tries to light cigarettes or candles for you or other adults.
• Matches or lighters in their pockets or rooms.

Control Curiosity

• Talk to your child or students in a calm, assured manner about fire safety.
• Consider visiting a fire station if children are very interested in firefighting and/or fire trucks or ask a firefighter to visit your classroom. Have the firefighter talk about his/her job and the dangers of fire.
• For parents: Create opportunities for learning about fire safety at home. For example, when you cook, let your child get the pot holder for you; when you use the fireplace, let your child bring you the wood or tools; if you use candles, let the child check to make sure the candle holder fits snugly; and when you change or test the batteries in your smoke alarms, ask the child to help you.

What to Do if You Suspect Your Student/Child Is Playing with Fire?

• Talk to the child about his or her actions. Explain again that fire is a tool for use only by adults, and that it is very dangerous for children.
• Many schools, fire departments and law enforcement agencies have programs for children who are inappropriately interested in fire or who have set fires.

Daylight savings time March 11, 2012

 

Daylight Saving Time (United States) begins Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:00am, and ends Sunday, November 4, 2012, 2:00am.
Except Arizona and Hawaii. Move your clocks ahead 1 hour in spring and back 1 hour in fall ("Spring forward, fall back").

This means our days are getting longer and summer is around the corner. In Europe it is called Summer time and starts the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. 

March is Aupair Care Saftey Awareness Month

I wanted to get a head start on our safety awareness for next month, March. Our monthly meeting will focus on safety. We will meet at the Olathe Police department and get an overview of the 9-1-1 call center as well as a tour of the police station and we will finish up with a refresher course in CPR. I am very excited about this meeting. One of our former host families are both police officers and they are helping us get this tour set up. It will be a great meeting and one every aupair should not miss!

SAFETY : accidents are the #1 cause of death in children

•  Watch all play near streets: children should not cross the street alone until 8 years of age
•  Helmets enforce their use every time all the time when riding bikes, roller blades, skateboards
•  Teach children water safety and supervise at all times. Swimmers can still drown
•  Kids are very curious. Keep potential posions, matches, sharp objects and firearms locked up and out of reach.
• POISON CONTROL: (800) 332-6633
•  Seat belts are the LAW. Children ride in the backseat is a lap shoulder belt until they are 80 Ibs and 8 years old.
•  NEVER leave children unattended in the car or the house.
•  Teach stranger safety and good touch/bad touch

 ENJOY LIFE AND BE SAFE

Valentine treat idea

Looking for a healthy treat for Valentines and that is also fun to decorate and give. This year my daughter wrote on oranges with a sharpie and handed them out as her Valentine treat at school. It is a healthy choice, affordable and fun to make. Try it next year.

Contact Congress to stop FICA tax on aupairs and host families

 The Alliance brought to our attention a very serious proposal currently pending in Congress that would, if enacted, impose a new 7.65% FICA tax burden on both au pairs and their American host families.

This is not fair since aupairs will never be able to collect on medicare and social security. Here is what you can do. It will take you 2 minutes. Please share this information with other families.

1. Go to the Alliance page and send letters to your 3 representatives

2. Email or phone one other Host Parent, and ask them to do the same.

3. Tweet this post, or share it on Facebook, to publicize the issue to your host parents friends and interested others.

Driving in America

Here is a link to a short movie made by aupair care to help with driving in America.

http://www.aupaircare.com/apc-au-pair-training/index.html

The Role of your Area Director

What exactly does the area director do for the family and aupair. Sometimes there is some confusion as to our role. The Area Director is your link to the main office, we can be your confident and sounding board. We are here to assist you but we are also human and not a 24/7service.

THINGS WE DO:

·        We conduct an in-home interview when you apply to the program to go over the program details and check the spare room making sure the aupair room is equal to others in the home.

·         We call each host family and au pair within 48 hours of an au pair’s arrival into the home to welcome all and make sure everyone is safe and settled.

·        We conduct an Orientation Meeting within 2 weeks of your au pair’s arrival into the home to go over things like schedule, list of duties, discipline, house rules, education, driving, travel,and answer any questions you may have.

·         We call each host family and each au pair every month to check in and see how things are going and answer questions. Both host families and au pairs should make sure to call their Area Director back. It is important to keep an open dialog with the area director that way when problems arise we can help you.

·         We make ourselves available via phone and email during normal business hours to answer questions as they arise.

·         We conduct an in-home mediation in the event issues are not being resolved.

·         Email a monthly newsletter to host families and au pairs with pertinent announcements, tips and most importantly, details of the monthly au pair meeting event.

·         Organize and attend a monthly au pair meeting, to which au pairs are required to attend.

·         Organize and attend an annual Family Day event for all au pairs and host families to which you are required to attend.

THINGS WE DON'T DO:

·         Match you with your au pair. While Area Directors are available to offer general advice on interview tips etc, specific matching help should be addressed by your Matching Expert in the San Francisco head office.

·         Pick up your au pair from the airport. It is your job to welcome your au pair at your local airport.

*     For out-of-hours emergencies, you should call the emergency hotline number: 415-434-8788.

We want to ensure your year with an aupair is the best that it can be. We are here for you through the good times and the bad. The area director is your friend.

Aupair Care announces "New Safety Care" Training program

San Francisco, Calif. – Jan 10, 2012 – Au Pair Care, the leading au pair agency that provides affordable live-in child care services, today announced the launch of its new Safety Care™ training program, an enhancement that provides all au pairs with CPR and First Aid certification training by the American Heart Association and focuses on a rigorous curriculum dedicated to providing au pairs with practical safety skills. The Safety Care program takes place at the Au Pair Academy, a four-day mandatory orientation and training that all Au Pair Care au pairs undergo upon arrival in the United States. The program provides au pairs with enhanced safety training in the categories of driving safety and household safety, in addition to ongoing child care safety training.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 million U.S. children and adolescents suffer preventable injuries annually. A recent survey conducted by Au Pair Care also found that child safety is the number one concern for its American host families.
“The Safety Care program was created as a direct result of feedback from Au Pair Care’s host families, regarding what is most important to them,” said Heidi Woehl, vice president of Au Pair Care. “Child safety has always been a priority for Au Pair Care, and our new safety training enhancements and ongoing training initiatives will further educate and train our au pairs to be better and safer child care providers.”
As a member of the National Safety Council, Au Pair Care’s Safety Care curriculum incorporates best practices from the council regarding child and household safety. It familiarizes au pairs with American safety rules and regulations, as well as the cultural expectations of American host families. Through a variety of expert instruction, online training and interactive role-play, Au Pair Care au pairs will learn first-hand how to handle common safety issues and practice injury prevention techniques.
Key features of Au Pair Care’s Safety Care training program include:

• Child Safety: CPR and First Aid certification training by the American Heart Association for all au pairs, making Au Pair Care one of the only au pair agencies to offer this training. Au pairs will also receive ongoing training throughout the year with monthly safety tips as well as practical child care safety advice.
• Driving Safety: An online interactive driving course utilizing best practices from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the National Safety Council on how to follow U.S. driving laws and keep children safe while behind the wheel.  Au pairs are also expected to hold a current international driver’s license.
• Household Safety:  Educating au pairs on basic household safety practices and emergency preparedness, including choking hazards, water safety, and what to do in case of a fire. The training offers au pairs the chance to participate in interactive scenarios to prepare for real life situations.

“As parents, our children’s safety is our number one concern,” said Jenni Frank, an Au Pair Care host mom.  “Knowing that my au pair has gone through extra safety training and CPR certification with Au Pair Care helps reassure me that my kids will be safe.”
Au Pair Care matches American families with au pairs and offers two main program options to fit each family’s specific needs. The Standard One-Year Program provides dedicated child care and cultural exchange for one year. Au pairs provide up to 45 hours of child care per week chosen by the host family, not to exceed 10 hours per day. For families who are expecting or have a child under 12 months old, Au Pair Care offers the Infant Specialized Program, a longer training program focusing on infant sign language, baby massage techniques, games to stimulate infant mental development, and American parenting techniques. In addition, host families and au pairs who want to extend the au pair’s stay use the Extension Program, which provides up to two years of continuing child care. Families can extend with their au pair for an additional six, nine or 12 months.