Childproofing is new career

Childproofing is new career
Companies are springing up that assess risks and install devices to
prevent injuries
By Darrell Smith - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D4

http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/335737.html

Eric Quint stumbled into his career as a childproofer six years ago
when a cousin showed him all the precautions he'd installed to keep
his baby safe.

Quint was impressed with the work -- until his cousin mentioned how
much it cost.

"I could do the job way better and for less money," Quint said he
thought at the time. "I knew I had the ability."

Today, he is helping parents and caretakers keep children safe from
falling, tripping, electrocution and other at-home dangers. His job,
as he describes it: "Find everything that's a hazard to your child."

He's not the only one seeking to compete in this emerging field.
Whether it's Safe and Sound in King of Prussia, Pa.; Foresight
Childproofing Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn.; InfantHouse.com in Flower
Mound, Texas; or Eric's Child Safety Services in Antelope, a growing
number of people are seeking fortune and fulfillment by ensuring
parents' peace of mind.

Lurking dangers take a huge toll each year. In 2004, the last year for
which complete statistics were available, 5,359 children died from
unintentional injuries, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit
group based in Washington, D.C., that works to prevent unintentional
childhood injuries.

The six most common causes of death in 2004 were burns, suffocation,
drowning, choking, falls and poisoning, Safe Kids Worldwide reported.

Because such accidents are widely publicized, people now understand
the potential severity of home accidents, said Richard Shandelman,
whose 15-year-old Safe and Sound is considered an old-timer in this
field.

Only in the last two decades have parents considered contracting out
the work. In fact, many parents still choose to do it themselves, said
Ken Goore, owner of Goore's Furniture & Accessories for Babies to
Teens, a 32,000-square-foot retail outlet on Marconi Avenue.

"It's a major department in our store in terms of sales volume," said
Goore, who ranks child safety equipment among his top three revenue
generators per square foot.

Parents, caregivers and small business people such as Quint and
Shandelman purchased as much as $235 million worth of child-safety
merchandise last year, according to an industry trade group.

Melanie and Robert Dunn of Citrus Heights are among parents who
tackled babyproofing on their own. Four years ago after the birth of
the Dunns' first child, Melanie installed socket plugs, locks, door
alarms and safety latches, while Robert crafted hinged safety gates to
keep baby from taking a tumble.

"It's very much peace of mind," said Melanie, a mother of three who
found her equipment at Babies "R" Us. "It's a scary world raising kids
these days. Anything that makes anything easier for parents is
valued."

Father of three Jeffrey Jacobstein also assessed the risks at his El
Dorado Hills home, then made the renovations. Later, when he was
considering giving up his old line of work and starting something new,
he wondered: Could he make a living by making homes safer for babies
and children?

His answer was yes. He opened Crumb Crunchers Babyproofing and Child
Safety Consultants early this year. It was tough slogging at first, he
said, but the business has now caught its stride.

Jacobstein has branched out to provide safety classes for local
mothers' groups. He researched the idea and talked with other
childproofers and the International Association of Child Safety, an
industry trade group based in Lake Hiawatha, N.J. Then he secured
startup capital.

"Our goal is to save kids' lives and prevent injuries," Jacobstein
said. "We may not know the fruits of what we're doing, but it helps
kids to be safe."

No one can measure how many accidents might have happened if a
childproofer had not been hired. Referrals, it seems, are the best
indication of work well done.

That's how Roseville residents Vanessa and Raphael Krug found Quint
last year. Their neighbors gave them his name because the couple's 2-
year-old twins were crawling the stairs and trying with all their
might to scale the banisters.

"We didn't know anyone who did childproofing," said Vanessa Krug. "It
was something we wouldn't have the tools to do. I didn't even know
what materials to use. We were ready to call in a carpenter. We were
ready to do some major construction."

But Vanessa Krug said Quint was able to turn her ideas into reality,
point out problems and install the equipment in a day's time.

"It looks high quality," she said. "He has the know-how to find a
hazard, and he can do it in one fell swoop."

Before launching his business, Quint did his research, calling the
International Association for Child Safety just as Jacobstein had
done. He received one-on-one training from a group representative, and
six months later, Eric's Child Safety Service was born.

"You're not putting a cabinet in somebody's home. You're stopping a
kid from getting poisoned," said Quint, who is insured and is licensed
as both a general and specialty contractor. "You've got to go in like
you're protecting your own kid."

Each company starts with an in-home consultation -- oftentimes 90
minutes or more. The consultants quiz parents using an extensive
checklist: Are one or both parents home during the day? Are there
older children in the house? What toys are about?

The answers yield a childproofing plan. The typical list of equipment
includes baby gates; safety locks; and latches for drawers, cabinets
and cupboards.

It can become even more extensive, though, with locks for everything
from windows to toilets; slip-proof bathtub mats; straps to secure
televisions and stereo speakers; and fencing for swimming pools and
fireplaces.

For Quint, a childproofing job normally ranges from $700 to $1,500 or
more for what he calls a full childproofing -- locks, latches, safety
gates, Plexiglas barriers and more.

Childproofers Alison and Kenny Rhodes also stress creating so-called
"safe zones" for children -- areas in the home where children are
least likely to run across hazards and where they are easily seen by
Mom and Dad.

"You don't think something is going to happen to your child, you get
complacent," said Alison Rhodes of Peek-a-Boo Babyproofing Inc. in
Wilton, Conn. "(Parents) say they never take their eyes off their
child, (but) we talk about creating 'safe zones' so they have peace of
mind."

Childproofing help

From outlet covers to drawer and door locks, from safety gates to baby
monitors, plenty of products have been devised to keep children safe
at home. Below are price ranges, some selected manufacturers and a
description of what each product does.

Outlet plugs Description: Keeps small fingers from wriggling into
exposed outlets Price: $3.95 and up Selected manufacturers: Kidco,
Mommy's Helper, Safety 1st

Safety gates Description: Gates block doorways, corridors, stairwells
and fireplace hearths from baby and toddlers. "Configure" gates are
hinged gates that fit odd-shaped spaces. "Play dens" are gate
enclosures for babies and toddlers. Price: $24.99 to $249.99 and up.
Prices vary greatly from swinging gates to fireplace hearth and
configure gates to enclosed play dens. Selected manufacturers: Mommy's
Helper, Kidco, Evenflo, North State, 1st Years

Drawer locks Description: Secures drawers to keep kids out of what's
inside Price: $3.99 Selected manufacturers: Kidco, One Step Ahead

Baby monitors Description: Provides portable audio and video
monitoring of baby from locations within the home. Price: $19.99 to
$189.99 and up Selected manufacturers: Mobi Cam, Graco, Safety 1st,
Phillips