Safe Kids Vermont

Safe Kids Vermont is a coalition of individuals and organizations across the state of Vermont dedicated to keeping children and teens healthy and safe by preventing injury. Safe Kids Vermont was founded in 1990, and the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is proud to be the lead organization for the coalition.

Safe Kids Vermont is where global meets local as part of the Safe Kids Worldwide international network of coalitions and partners in more than 30 countries. Explore the Safe Kids Worldwide website for more information and resources on their global efforts.

Our partners are passionate about preventing the injuries that impact Vermont youth. To learn more about our partners and the services they provide to families and communities across Vermont, check out our partner resource guide.

Download the Partner Resource Guide.

Are you or your organization interested in joining Safe Kids Vermont or attending one of our quarterly meetings? Contact VTSafeKidsatuvmhealth [dot] org (VTSafeKids[at]uvmhealth[dot]org) to join our mailing list.

We Have a Little Emergency

Office logo of W.H.A.L.E

After a crash, adults may be unable to relay key health information about the children in their vehicle to first responders. We Have a Little Emergency (W.H.A.L.E.) is a nationally recognized program that easily provides first responders with the information they need to provide children with the best possible care. Safe Kids Vermont and Emergency Medical Services for Children, with the support of the Children’s Miracle Network, have brought this program to Vermont.

Request your Free W.H.A.L.E. Kit

Thumbnail image of a PDF booklet, entitled Preparing for Baby. There is an image of an infant's hand resting in an adult's hand.

Expecting a new baby in your family can be exciting, but it can also bring out feelings of worry and anxiety. New parents and caregivers, including grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends, may feel overwhelmed by the amount of topics and opinions on how to keep baby safe and well.

The Preparing for Baby booklet was compiled by the Safe Kids Vermont partners as a one-stop safety resource for families expecting a baby. There are injury prevention tips for pregnant individuals and great information on how to keep baby safe before they are born through the toddler years!

Download the Preparing for Baby booklet.

Our Safe Sleep demonstration kit comes with all materials to demonstrate a safe sleep environment for an infant, including:

  • A doll-size pack ‘n play
  • An infant-size doll
  • A sleep sack and summer onesie
  • A stuffed animal
  • A blanket

The kit can be borrowed for educational or community events. To reserve the kit, contact SafeKidsVT [at] uvmhealth.org (SafeKidsVT[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).

Outreach

Interested in having Safe Kids Vermont present at your Health Fair or Safety Day? Contact us at SafeKidsVT [at] uvmhealth.org (SafeKidsVT[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).

Safety Resources

Safe Kids Vermont provides a variety resources for parents and caregivers to help them keep kids safe from preventable injuries.

Our Safe Sleep demonstration kit comes with all materials to demonstrate a safe sleep environment for an infant, including:

  • A doll-size pack ‘n play
  • An infant-size doll
  • A sleep sack and summer onesie
  • A stuffed animal
  • A blanket

The kit can be borrowed for educational or community events. To reserve the kit, contact SafeKidsVT [at] uvmhealth.org (SafeKidsVT[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).

Self-Poisoning Prevention: Health Care Provider Toolkit

Preventing Intentional Self-Poisoning in Youth: A Toolkit for Vermont Health Care Providers was developed by the Safe Kids Vermont and the Northern New England Poison Center.

This toolkit provides background information on the rise of self-harm poisonings in teenagers and tools that primary care providers can use in their practices to help prevent these poisonings. While the toolkit contains data and resources specific to Vermont, the trends are similar across northern New England, and the framework of the toolkit can be useful to providers anywhere.

Continuing education credit is available through the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine for doctors and nurses who review the toolkit through UVM’s e-learning site. Credit is available to providers anywhere in the country; you do not need to practice in Vermont. Please review the accreditation statement below.

  • The toolkit guide book offers tools providers can use in a primary care setting to identify, manage and appropriately refer young patients who may be at risk of self-harm. Print copies are available upon request.
  • Self-Harm Poisonings in Youth is a 20-minute recorded presentation for health care providers covering trends in youth self-harm, substances commonly involved, ways the poison center contributes to treatment for these patients, and action steps providers can take to help.
  • Poison Ed: Self-Poisoning Suicide Attempts in Vermont is a podcast episode in which NNEPC educator Gayle Finkelstein, UVM Larner College of Medicine professor Tom Delaney, and UVM Medical Center pediatric critical care physician Rebecca Bell discuss trends in self poisoning among young people.
  • Materials to be shared with parents, caregivers and other members of teens’ support networks:
    • Safe Teens at Home: Medication Safety is a presentation providing information on medication poisoning risks for teenagers—primarily self-poisoning—and ways parents can help prevent these poisonings.
    • “Biteables” are short video clips that could be shared in waiting rooms or on social media. Self-Poisoning Prevention for Parents of Teens is broken into two parts: Part 1 | Part 2

After reviewing the toolkit, you may wish to download stand-alone copies of some of the materials in the guidebook.

For use in your office:

  • Self-Harm in Vermont: A fact sheet for health care providers that addresses the scope of the problem and ways providers can help prevent these poisonings.
  • Patient Safety Plan: A plan that you and your at-risk patient work on together to help them manage difficult situations.
  • Self-Harm Office Checklist: A form that you and your office staff can use to ensure that all the necessary steps are followed to ensure your at-risk patients receive the best care possible.
  • Self-Harm Referral Contacts: A form you and your office staff can use to keep your key behavioral health contacts at your fingertips.

To distribute to parents, caregivers and others:

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, the Northern New England Poison Center and Safe Kids Vermont. The University of Vermont is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The University of Vermont designates this Enduring Material activity for a maximum of 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This program has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 2.5 Nursing Contact Hours.

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 2.5 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.