Poisoning statistics show the largest number of Alaska children are poisoned are under the age of five years old. But it happens to older kids, too, as well as elders. Poisoning happens for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s the wrong medication or too much medication. Sometimes, it’s simply because children don’t understand what they can eat and how much. Sometimes, it’s intentional.
Children in foster care are all traumatized to some level. It’s safest to keep things that can hurt kids put away, no matter what the age. Children who come to live with us are unfamiliar in our homes. We don’t always know what their habits are or what substances they are used to using. Sometimes children have been given the responsibility to take their own medicines, or give medicines to their young siblings. Some children have been charged with feeding themselves and siblings before they are old enough to know what’s healthy and what’s not.
Children who come into our homes bring high risk behaviors that we’re unaware of. We have to be prepared for anything! We have to be prepared to keep dangerous things out of their reach and, at the same time, teach children how to keep themselves safe.
As foster care providers, our first obligation is to the safety of the child in our care.
Children under the age of five are in a stage of development in which they are constantly exploring the world around them. This is how they learn. It is normal and should not be discouraged. Unfortunately, what children see and reach, they usually put in their mouths. Parents must be alert and careful about this behavior.
As youngsters' mobility and capabilities increase, they can reach medicines and household chemicals wherever stored. For instance, when children are crawling, they can find such products as drain cleaners stored under the kitchen sink. As soon as they are able to stand, they can reach furniture polish on low-lying tables, as well as medications in purses on beds. When they start to climb, they can reach medicine on countertops or open the medicine cabinet. Young children need adults to provide safety!
