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Best for Kids™

Best for Kids™ Certification Program

The Best for Kids™ certification program launched by the window covering industry assists in educating consumers about potential window-cord hazards facing young children and will aid consumers in making the right choice when selecting window coverings. In order to be eligible for this certification, manufacturers must meet the specified program criteria and submit their window covering products to a designated third party testing laboratory. Once products pass testing they may be labeled “Best for Kids”.

Products that qualify for “Best for Kids” either have no cords, no operating cords and inner cords that are not accessible, or if accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop.

“Parents with young children should replace their corded window coverings with the cordless products available.” says Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) Executive Director, Peter Rush. “The new ‘Best for Kids’ certification label recently launched makes it easy for parents and caregivers to easily identify which products are best suited for their home.”

Best for Kids Label

To aid consumers in making the right choice when selecting window coverings, cordless options can easily be identified by the new Best for Kids™ certification program.  In order to be eligible for this certification, manufacturers must meet the specified program criteria and submit their window covering products to a designated third party testing laboratory.  Once products pass testing, they may be labeled Best for Kids™.  Best for Kids products are currently available at major retailers across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Best for Kids program is the industry’s first third-party certification program designed to help consumers and retailers identify window covering products that are best suited for use in homes with young children. The new Best for Kids program will require products that manufacturers want to be part of the program to meet stringent criteria, and to submit those products to a third party testing laboratory. Products that meet these criteria will be eligible to be listed and labeled on packaging and materials as “certified,” and companies can use this designation on their marketing materials

The program is open to all manufacturers who sell window covering products in the United States.

Window coverings must be manufactured in compliance with ANSI/WCMA A 100.1-2012. In an effort to make it easier for consumers with young children to choose the correct product for their application, WCMA has detailed a set of criteria that will ensure a product is best suited for use in homes with young children. Further, WCMA has developed a third party certification program that will make it clear that products labeled as certified are manufactured to these criteria. Products certified under this program will be eligible to be labeled and listed as “Certified”. This certification program in no way diminishes the requirement that all products must comply with the most current version of the ANSI standard.

To participate, manufacturers must have the products they determine as meeting the program criteria assessed by Bureau Veritas or Intertek. Physical sample products must be submitted to Bureau Veritas or Intertek for review and analysis to determine if they meet the Best for Kids program criteria. For products that pass the test, Intertek will send a report to the company that submitted the samples that these products may be labeled as “Certified.”

WCMA has contacted major retailers and is encouraging them to participate in the program. We anticipate high participation by retailers as the certification program will allow them to easily promote certified products.

For years, the window covering industry together with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and safety groups have urged parents to use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. The Best for Kids program provides clarity to the marketplace as consumers and retailers will be able to easily identify those products that have been independently tested to meet the Best for Kids criteria.

For years, the window covering industry together with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and safety groups have urged parents to use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. The Best for Kids program provides clarity to the marketplace as consumers and retailers will be able to easily identify those products that have been independently tested to meet the Best for Kids criteria.

Products that have no cords or inner cords that are not accessible in accordance with Appendix C of ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012 are eligible for the certification program. If accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop in accordance with Appendix D of the current version of ANSI/WCMA A100.1, or in any way create a potential wrap around hazard. The third party testing laboratory will determine if the products meet the criteria of the program.

No. Only products that have no cords or inner cords that are not accessible in accordance with Appendix C of ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012; or products that have accessible inner cords that cannot form a hazardous loop as per Appendix D of the most recent version of the ANSI standard are eligible for the certification program. Bureau Veritas or Intertek will determine if the products meet the criteria of the program. If accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop in accordance with Appendix D of the current version of ANSI/WCMA A100.1, or in any way create a potential wrap around hazard. There are no exceptions to these criteria.

WCMA is not involved in determining the cost of window covering products. Pricing is up to individual companies.
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