Ask Dr. Sue - Is Playground Safety Being Taken Seriously?

Summary of Article's First 150 Words

Total word count: 955

No one wants to hurt a child. Yet, many early childhood programs are taking chances that could result in serious injuries for the young children in their care. Most injuries that take place in child care centers occur on the playground; many centers are not doing what they can to make their playgrounds as safe as possible - even when they are informed about playground safety and the particular hazards on their own playgrounds.

In 1988, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted a study of playground hazards at 58 child care centers in Atlanta, Georgia. After identifying hazards at these playgrounds, the researchers pointed out these hazards to the director at each center. The directors were also given playground safety information.

Two years later, the researchers arranged for licensing inspectors to evaluate playground hazards at centers in Atlanta. The researchers wanted to find out if ...