Protecting children from harm is your No. 1 priority and Illinois Poison Center is here to help.

This Caregivers Guide offers practical advice on keeping children safe from potentially harmful substances. That’s IPC’s specialty. We encourage you to take the actions below. You’ll feel more confident and assured after taking concrete steps to keep young children safe. Visit the following links for an English version and Spanish version of their Caregivers Guide.

General Safety Tips

Teach children to “always ask first” before eating or drinking anything.
Store potentially harmful substances and products in cabinets with child-resistant safety locks, or up high and out of children’s reach.
Don’t store cleaning products and food in the same areas/cabinets.
Keep perfumes, colognes, cosmetics and other personal care products out of children’s reach.
Keep all potentially harmful products (cleaners, cosmetics, medicines and items used for home repair, gardening and automobiles) in their original container with original labels.
Always read the labels and directions for use each time you use cleaning products and other possible poisons.
Rinse out all empty containers (those used for bleaches, cleaners, etc.) before discarding.
Make sure the Illinois Poison Center’s telephone number is stored in or near each phone in your home.