Toy Safety – CPSIA
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was enacted in July 14, 2008 to regulate safety in children’s products. The provisions of this complex law can be viewed at http://www.cpsc.gov/ under CPSIA. The law states that “Certificates of Compliance (COC’s) are required for every children’s product made available for sale.” For every product we sell, we require a guarantee from our suppliers that says, “By acceptance of this order, Vendor guarantees that all items meet the current requirements of the CPSIA and that certificates of compliance are available for all items shipped.” In addition to this preventative step, we follow daily updates sent out by the CPSC of recalls and safety infractions in children’s products. If there is ever a recall of an item we carry, it is pulled from our shelves immediately!
Sadly, this law also means that we are unable to sell some wonderful items that are being developed locally because the cost of getting certification is too expensive for the individuals who are making these products. In many cases, these items are made of organic fabrics and wood and in no way pose a threat to children. However, until the law makes an exception that allows retailers of children’s products to sell products without COC’s, we are unable to consider these items for our selection.