Baltimore Cultural Care Au Pairs And Volunteer Fire Company Focus On Children’s Fire Safety

Sept. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- September 12, 2010 – Cultural Care au pairs from across the Baltimore area met at Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company for a fire safety meeting hosted by Cultural Care Au Pair and members of the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company.
According to Local Childcare Coordinator Dr. Thomas-Parker, educating au pairs on fire safety is a top priority for parents. “Au pairs are often the primary caregivers for many local families during the day. Fire safety training is important because it reinforces their knowledge of what to do if there is an emergency, starting with getting themselves and the children out of the house should a fire break out.”

The training is part of Cultural Care Au Pair’s ongoing Continuing Education Program (CEP). As a U.S. Department of State regulated program, au pairs receive safety and childcare education throughout their year long stay in the United States, beginning with a week of intensive courses at the Cultural Care Au Pair school in New York. The Baltimore au pairs together represent the countries of Germany, France, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Panama, China, Thailand, South Africa, Venezuela, Uzbekistan and Finland.  Dr. Thomas-Parker, a resident of Phoenix, supports area parents and au pairs, advising them of educational opportunities, as well as organizing fun activities for the entire extended family to enjoy.

“I am always looking for ways to make safety training and education fun for our au pairs,” said Dr Thomas-Parker.  According to Andrew Stroup, the training covered everything from smoke detectors to safely and quickly getting out of a home in the case of a fire, with an emphasis on the cultural differences on handling an emergency here in the United States as opposed to other parts of the world. “When you invite an au pair into your home, programs like these assure that you leave your children in the most capable hands possible. It is comforting as a parent to know that your children are with a caregiver you can trust.”

Dr. Thomas-Parker suggests these safety tips for local families:
Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries once a year
Make sure you have a fire alarm on every floor of your home
Plan fire escape routes for your family and identify a meeting place outside the home in case of an emergency
Keep matches, gasoline, and all flammable materials locked away and out of a child’s reach
Never leave cooking food unattended
Introduce children to a firefighter, so they will know not to be scared in the case of a fire
Avoid plugging several appliance chords into the same electrical socket
Consider buying safety ladders for upper levels of your home and show older children how to use them

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Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 55,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. A division of EF Education and a U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit http://sthomasparker.aupairnews.com/ or call 410 365-1010.