Taking our young children to daycare or preschool can be nerve-wracking for us as parents, but there are ways to put our minds at ease and ensure our kids’ safety at the same time. When it comes to the scary issue of children choking, we find it’s best to be upfront, asking questions and having a frank conversation about emergency preparedness.

Here, you can read our tips for how to talk to your kids’ childcare facility about choking, and why the innovative Dechoker device is a good addition to any daycare’s first-aid kit.

What to Ask

Many daycare and preschool facilities require their employees to have training in first aid. What’s more, as experienced childcare pros, these workers tend to be well-versed about commonhousehold choking hazards for children and foods that tend to cause a higher risk.

Still, you as a parent should absolutely feel comfortable having a conversation about choking with your child’s caregivers. Here are some questions to ask:

- Are your staff trained or certified in choking first aid?

- What are mealtimes and snack sessions like? What kind of supervision is there?

- Have you had any choking emergencies? What happened?

- What would you do if a child were choking right now?

Although this can be a difficult topic to talk about, we suggest parents approach these conversations from an honest place of concern for your child’s safety. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have.

Talk about the Dechoker

Although many childcare workers have training in CPR and first-aid techniques such as abdominal thrusts, fewer are familiar with our emerging anti-choking treatment, the Dechoker. Our device has become common in the United Kingdom, where we now have dozens of documented cases of caregivers effectively helping a choking victim. In the United States, we hope to gain the same ground, reaching a new standard of care.

Talk to your child’s daycare or preschool facility about adding the Dechoker device to their first-aid kit. We recommend the Dechoker as a complement to traditional choking treatments, rather than an alternative. It’s an extremely easy-to-use device, and it comes with less risk of injury to the choking victim. To help a choking child, a caregiver simply needs to apply the Dechoker facemask over the child’s mouth and nose, and pull back on the plunger. The Dechoker uses suction to remove the food or object, often clearing the airway within seconds.

Just as defibrillators have become a common sight in many restaurants, airports and public spaces, we believe Dechoker devices should be available everywhere — particularly in places like daycare facilities filled with kids, who are at a higher risk of choking than adults.

Ask your child’s caregivers whether they know about the Dechoker device and invite them to learn more about how it works. You could even consider purchasing a toddler- or child-sized Dechoker for them to have on hand. This conversation and important upgrade to their first-aid kit could make the difference in saving a life.