This summer, a coalition of Toronto organizations including the Catholic Children’s Aid Society, Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Police Service, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and the City of Toronto are coming together to launch Safe Kids, Strong Communities — a citywide campaign focused on creating a safer city for children and youth.
For Families and Caregivers
Each year, young children in Toronto are seriously injured or killed in incidents that happen in everyday environments—at home, on balconies, and in vehicles. These incidents can happen quickly, often in seconds and are more common during the summer months.
Many of these injuries can be prevented through simple safety measures and increased awareness of common risks.
This campaign shares simple, practical steps you can take every day to keep children safe.
Why This Matters
Many of these incidents involve well-understood risks that can be reduced through awareness, supervision and simple safety measures.
Many families are managing busy lives, financial stress, or small living spaces. The Safe Kids, Strong Communities takes a supportive, non-judgmental approach, recognizing that parents and caregivers are doing their best and aims to provide clear, easy to follow information to help reduce the risk of injuries.
Hot weather can increase risks by:
- Encouraging families to open windows and balcony doors to cool their homes
- Increasing the chances of children getting into unsafe spaces
- Making the inside of parked vehicles dangerously hot for children
For families living in smaller or shared spaces, it may not always be possible to move furniture away from windows or balconies. In these situations, staying close and supervising children becomes even more important.
Where access to safe outdoor space is limited, children may spend more time indoors—making home safety even more important.
Key Safety Messages for Families
Balcony and Window Safety
A moment is all it takes.
Young children are curious and move quickly. They are learning about their world, but they don’t yet understand danger. They can climb, reach, or access unsafe areas in seconds, often during everyday routines.
- Windows are for ventilation, not for play
- Screens alone do not prevent falls
- Always supervise children when windows or balcony doors are open
Important Reminders:
- Keep children at a safe distance from open windows and balcony railings
- Stay close – even during simple activities like looking outside together
- Do not remove, disable, or override window safety features
- While it may be tempting to open windows wider to cool living spaces, these safety devices are critical in preventing serious falls
What Families Can Do
- Supervise children closely, especially when windows or balconies are open
- Keep furniture away from balconies and windows
- Install or use childproof locks on balcony doors
- Make sure windows have working guards or stops to prevent them from opening too wide
- Report to the building owner if window safety devices or screens are missing or damaged
Build simple habits:
- Close, lock, and check
- Do a quick scan of the room before stepping away to make sure children are not near open windows or balconies
- Move chairs, tables, and other items children can climb on away from windows and balcony railings
If you notice missing or broken safety features in your unit or building, support and information are available. Please see the Resources listed on this page >>
Hot Car Safety
Never leave a child in a vehicle — even for a minute.
A quick check is all it takes.
Vehicles heat up rapidly, even on mild or warm days. A child’s body heats up much faster than an adults’, which can become life-threatening within minutes
Keep in mind:
- Vehicles can become dangerously hot within minutes – even if the windows are slightly open
- Children cannot cool themselves down as well as adults
- Leaving a child in a vehicle, even briefly, can quickly become life-threatening
Important reminders:
- Always take your child with you when leaving the vehicle, even for a short stop
- Never leave a child in a parked vehicle while running errands
- Teach children not to play in, on, or around vehicles
- Lock your vehicle when it is not in use to prevent children from getting inside
What Families Can Do
- Make it a habit to check the back seat before leaving your vehicle.
- Use reminders to help you remember your children are in the car.
- Keep your vehicle locked when parked.
Build Simple Habits:
- Look before you lock – check the back seat before leaving your vehicle to make sure all children have exited safely, including infants and young children who may be asleep
- Place an essential item (such as your phone, bag or keys) in the back seat as a reminder
- Follow the same routine each time you arrive at your destination and always check the vehicle
- If your routine changes (for example, someone else usually drops off your child), take an extra moment to check the back seat before leaving the vehicle
A Collective Effort
Safe Kids, Strong Communities, brings together partners across public health, emergency services, housing, and city leadership to deliver clear, trusted messaging across the city.
By working together, service providers and partners can help ensure families receive consistent information and support — wherever they live, work, and access services. Because keeping children safe is a shared responsibility, and every family deserves the knowledge and tools to protect their children.
For Service Providers and Community Partners
Community partners play an important role in keeping children safe by reinforcing key messages and supporting families.
Partners can:
- Share consistent, practical safety messages with families
- Use existing touchpoints (home visits, community programs, housing supports) to reinforce safety behaviours
- Provide culturally relevant information in multiple languages
Partners are encouraged to:
- Share and adapt campaign materials
- Promote and amplify messages through your network and services
- Help increase awareness across communities
By working together, we can ensure families receive consistent information and support—wherever they live, work, and access services.