Las Vegas Urban League WIC Counselors Stand Ready To Help Families During June National Saf

LAS VEGAS - June 1, 2022 - PRLog -- In recognition of National Safety Month, Urban League WIC Nutrition Education Counselors are standing by to assist parents on ways they can educate their children about safety at home, in school and on playgrounds so their kids can avoid minor and serious injuries.

"Safety learning should start as early as possible," Lawanda Torres, Clinic Coordinator at WIC's Flamingo West office, said. "Children from the age of 2 should already know some basic safety procedures."

Computers have become an integral part of children's lives today. They use them in schools for learning, doing homework assignments and of course in playing games. It's gotten to the point that kids, including adults, can't spend the day without signing on to the Internet. So it's very important to establish some guidelines for kids to follow when using their computers.

"Kids must know the dangers of being online and learn ways to protect themselves," Shannon Johnson, Clinic Coordinator at WIC's Flamingo East office, stressed. "Children should be monitored when they are on the Internet. Teach your children to never give out private information such as a last name, address, phone number and financial information without first asking their parent."

With many families having firearms in the home, it is extremely important to teach children living in these households about firearm safety. It's estimated that nearly 1,300 children younger than age 18 die from shootings every year.

"The best way to keep your child safe from firearms is to remove them from the home," Torres said. "But if firearms are maintained in the home, "ALWAYS" keep them unloaded and locked with trigger locks. Also, keep ammunition and firearms locked in separate locations."

Teaching children about fire safety is extremely important. Talk to them about how smoke detectors work, practice using escape routes in case of a fire, opening windows to release smoke and checking door handles and touching walls to see if heat is building up.

"Teach your children about the dangers of playing with firecrackers or lighting candles and playing with matches," Johnson explained. "It's important to teach your child not only how to avoid a fire hazard, but how to behave when they are around fire.

For more information, visit the Urban League WIC website at: www.wiclv.org or their two convenient locations: 6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or 3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561. The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Program is a 501c (3) program that is funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.