Is the crib you have your infant or toddler in JPMA certified?

Say what? And why should you care?

Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association is one of the guidelines the government recently implemented in order to ensure greater safety for infants and toddlers who sleep in cribs.

As of June 28, only cribs that comply with the improved federal safety standards can be manufactured, sold or used in a child care center or other public venue. The new crib regulations prohibit the sale of drop side rail cribs, and they require that manufacturers strengthen crib and mattress supports, improve the quality of the hardware and commit to rigorous testing.

So what are these regulations, and how can you find out more about whether or not your crib is fulfilling the needed safety requirements?

One easy and fun way is to stop in at the Kids Collection Open House on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., where professional builders from throughout Amish County will be on hand to talk to the public, answer questions and discuss their building techniques for meeting the crib regulations.

“This is our first ever open house in which we will have builders on-site to answer questions, and we are extremely excited about the opportunity to help people better understand all of the new regulations,” said Fran Mast, Kids Collection owner.

There are a lot of new requirements the government has placed on cribs now, and a lot of people are wondering about them. Here, they can talk to any of our local builders about the new laws, what they are doing to conform to them and even talk about the craftsmanship and quality of their products.”

During the open house, donuts, cider and refreshments will be served, there will be drawings and caricaturist George Parmelee will be on hand to draw fantastic renderings of the kids in attendance. In addition, patrons will receive five to 10 percent off on all new purchases. Mast said that the evening will provide a perfect opportunity for patrons to come in and see the showroom, which is filled with some amazing, Amish-crafted furniture items, like cribs, bedroom suites, bunk beds and a plethora of youth furniture.

Over the past 15 years, Kids Collection has been supplying kids furniture and educational games and toys to families, not just in the area, but all over the nation.

In addition, should someone want something specialized, Kids Collection is more than capable of helping them fit their need.

“People are always stopping in and asking us about customizing different products to fit their needs,” said Summer Austin, floor manager at Kids Collection. “Now is their chance to stop in and visit us in person and find out all of the exciting options that are available. Since we work with so many great builders on the local level, we can create some unbelievable pieces.”

The open house was designed to create an opportunity for interaction between buyers and the Kids Collection, patrons and builders. Mast said that building relationships between themselves and their customers is one of the main reasons they wanted to have the open house.

“A lot of people around here still don’t know what we have to offer,” said Mast. “We’ve got the largest floor room of youth furniture around, and what is really nice is that it is designed for kids, but it is sturdy and well-made enough to last, right along with them, and will be around beyond just their kid years.”

Don’t miss this educational and enjoyable opportunity to learn more about the crib industry and what all of the new regulations look like, and bring the whole family, since many of the store’s interactive games will be on display.

Kids Collection is located in front of the old Holmes County Expo Center between Walnut Creek and Berlin on SR 39.