Children and Window Covering Cords Don’t Mix

Children and Window Covering Cords Don’t Mix

The facts

When window covering cords are accessible to small children, these seemingly harmless products may become strangulation hazards to infants and young children.

The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) recommends that parents and caregivers use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes where infants and young children are present. This is true in both new and older homes.

Are your window covering cords safe for your child?

Every parent needs to be aware of child safety, and this begins at home. Use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. Replace older corded window coverings with today’s safer products, especially those that are certified Best for Kids™.

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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 program requires products to meet stringent criteria, and to ‎submit those products to a third-party testing laboratory. Those that do will be listed and labeled ‎on packaging and materials as “certified,” and companies can use this designation on their ‎marketing materials.‎

Learn more about the Best for Kids™ ‎Certification Program

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What to look for

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™

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.

Once products pass testing, they may be labeled Best for Kids™.  Best for Kids™ products are currently available at major retailers across the country.

Learn more about Best for Kids™

Take the Pledge, Cut the Cord

I pledge to:

  1. Check all window coverings in my home to ensure that they have no cords and/or inner cords that are not accessible.
  2. If my home has corded window coverings that pose a risk to young children, I will replace them with those identified by the Best for Kids™ label, secure all cords out of the reach of children or remove them altogether.
  3. I will encourage family, friends, neighbors and caregivers to check the safety of their own window coverings.
  4. Once my child is old enough to understand, I will have a discussion with them about the risks of window covering cords.

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Childproofing Tips

Parents and parents-to-be have a million things on their minds when it comes to raising their children. But every parent needs to be aware of child safety, and this begins in the home.

To make sure your home is a safe one, consider the following tips:

  1. Only install cordless window coverings or window coverings with cords that are inaccessible and cannot create a hazardous loop in homes with young children.
  2. Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.
  3. Keep all window covering cords well out of reach of children and eliminate any dangling cords. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are as short as possible.
  4. Check that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords.
  5. Continuous-loop cords on draperies and vertical blinds should be permanently anchored to the floor or wall so that they are kept taught.
  6. When purchasing new window coverings, look for the Best for Kids™ certification label.
  7. If you have corded window coverings and can’t replace them with today’s safer products, check them for the following hazards and order our free retrofit kits as needed.

Download WCSC’s Childproofing Checklist

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