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To ensure the safety of the physical facility, follow the safety checklists offered in Lesson One and any materials provided by the state or military service that licenses or certifies your family child care home. Below are some key safety statements from the National Association for Family Child Care quality standards for accreditation (see ).   

• If there is a working fireplace, woodstove, or space heater, it is safely screened and inaccessible to children and not used when children are present. 
• Poisonous items are kept in a locked or out-of-reach location. Poisonous items include: medications, poisons, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaning supplies. 
• Children cannot lock themselves into rooms. Privacy locks on bathroom or bedroom doors are inaccessible to children, or locks can be opened quickly from outside. 
• Working smoke detectors are installed on each floor of the home and near cooking and sleeping areas. Working carbon monoxide detectors are installed near sleeping areas. 
• A working ABC-type fire extinguisher is located near the kitchen and on each floor used by children, and instructions for use are posted. The recommended dates on fire extinguishers are not expired. 
• Hot radiators and water pipes are covered or out of reach of children, or are not very hot to the touch. The tap water is not uncomfortably hot to the touch. 
• Hot items, including beverages, are kept out of children's reach. 
• Paint on the walls, ceilings, woodwork, and any other surface is not peeling or flaking. There are no paint chips or dust on floors or window sills. Walls and ceilings are free of holes or large cracks. There is no exposed asbestos insulation. 
• There are no toxic plants within children's reach, and the provider teaches children not to pick plants without permission. 
• All electrical cords within children's reach are secured. 
• No cords are placed under rugs or carpeting. 
• If there are children under the age of 6, every electrical outlet within children's reach is either covered with a choke-proof, child-resistant device, is in use, or is otherwise child proof.
• Each floor used by children has at least two exits that lead to the ground level. 
• Exits are usable by toddlers and older children. Access is unobstructed. 
• Stairs with more than three steps, or a total rise of twenty-four inches or more, have railings usable by the children. 
• Railings are on the right side when descending, if possible. 
• Secure and safe gates or barriers close off the top and bottom of all stairs adjoining areas used by children under the age of 4. There are no pressure gates or accordion gates with openings large enough to entrap a child’s head. 
• Cords of window coverings are secured or out of children's reach. 
• If windows more than three feet above ground are opened, they cannot be opened more than six inches or they are opened from the top and have safety guards — with bars no more than four inches apart. The safety guards must be removable from inside or outside by an adult in case of an emergency. 
• Windows that are opened have screens in good repair, unless the region is free of flying insects. 
• The stove and other cooking appliances are used safely or not used while children are present. Basic stove and oven safety guidelines: pot handles are turned to the back, back burners are used when available, knobs are removed or covered when not in use, or there are safety knobs or they are out of children’s reach, and children do not play within three feet of a stove while it is in use. (School-agers may cook on a stove if they are carefully supervised.) 
• If children under the age of 4 enter the kitchen, lower cupboards are free of dangerous items or have child-proof latches. 
• Containers for wet garbage are plastic-lined and covered with a step-operated lid, or are located out of reach of children. 
• Diapering and toileting areas are separated from food areas. If the kitchen sink is used for hand washing after toileting or diaper changing, it is sanitized after use. 
• A secure step or stool is located in front of any sink where children wash their hands, or children can reach faucets without a step. Children under the age of 2 may be held while washing hands.