Home safety for kids: parent tips & resources

How to child-proof your home and make it safer for your child

Child-proofing is about making your home safer for your child.

Active supervision is one of the keys to making your home safer for your child.

This is because your adult-friendly home has many potential hazards for a child. Even when you think you’ve removed all the hazards, the reality is that your child can still have tumbles and falls. Also, as your child grows, they’ll learn to climb and open things, so new hazards will emerge.

In addition to supervision, you can improve home safety by:

finding out what the home safety hazards are and preventing or removing them
changing your home environment to make sure it’s a safe and creative place for your child to play and explore
helping your child learn what’s safe and what’s not.

Check out the lists and links below to find out how.

If children have a creative space to play and explore, with plenty of interesting things to do and look at, they’ll be less likely to seek their own stimulation by exploring areas you might not want them to get into.

Baby furniture and equipment safety

When you’re choosing and using furniture and equipment for your baby, the first step for safety is checking whether new baby furniture meets Australian Standards or Australian/New Zealand Standards.

More information about furniture and equipment safety

Burns, scalds and fire safety

To prevent burns and scalds, keep your child away from things that burn – barbecues, fires, heaters, hot surfaces, hot liquids and hot foods.

More information about burns, scalds and fire safety

General indoor and outdoor safety

To create a safe indoor environment and a safe outdoor environment at home, check for indoor hazards in the kitchen, bedroom, family room, bathroom and laundry. There might be outdoor hazards in the backyard, garden, shed, outdoor play area, pool area and so on.

More information about indoor and outdoor safety

Use the articles listed in other sections of this guide to check for burns, equipment, furniture, poisons, scalds and water hazards.

When you and your child are out and about, it’s a great opportunity to help your child learn about pedestrian and road safety and bicycle, scooter and skateboard safety. If you’re heading to a playground, playground safety is all about active supervision.

Poisons safety

Children can be poisoned by medicines, household chemicals, cleaning products and other things. The first step to safety is storing household poisons out of reach and out of sight, up high in cupboards with child-resistant locks.

More information about poisons safety

Water safety

Water safety depends on 100% active adult supervision whenever children are around water. This includes when they’re around baths, pools, ponds, dams, rivers, creeks and buckets with water.

More information about water safety

CPR and first aid recommendations

It’s a very good idea to do first aid and CPR training. You can do training with organisations like Royal Life Saving Australia, the Australian Red Cross and St John Ambulance Australia.

Recommendations

Do first aid training every 3 years.
Do CPR training every year.
Keep first aid kits in your home and car.
Take a first aid kit on holidays.

Print out our illustrated guides to CPR for babies, CPR for children and teens, choking first aid for babies, choking first aid for children and teens and RICER first aid.

Emergency numbers list

Make a list of emergency numbers to keep near your telephone. Here are numbers to include:

Police, ambulance, fire – 000
Poisons Information Centre – 131 126
State Emergency Service – 132 500
Health Direct Australia – 1800 022 222
GP
child and family health nurse
local children’s hospital
all-night pharmacy
trusted neighbours and relatives
local council.

Need more information on child safety? Contact Kidsafe or the child safety centres or child health promotion units at the major children’s hospital in the capital city of your state or territory.