The Problem

Every day, families across Florida visit stores, restaurants, and family venues trusting that the child seating and safety equipment provided,such as highchairs, shopping carts, strollers, and other rental or in-house seating, are safe and sanitary.

Unfortunately, too many of these items are found with broken or missing straps, loose buckles, or unclean surfaces coated with food residue, sticky grime, or other buildup.

This puts children at serious risk of falls, injuries, and exposure to harmful germs, all of which are entirely preventable with proper maintenance, inspection, and sanitation practices.

Why This Matters

A single broken strap can result in dangerous falls and head injuries.

Unsanitary equipment can expose children to bacteria, viruses, and allergens.

Families assume child seating and safety equipment is properly maintained, yet many pieces go unchecked or uncleaned for long periods of time.

This is both a public safety and public health concern affecting millions of Florida families every day.

Our Proposal

We, the undersigned, call on Florida lawmakers, the Florida Department of Health, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to create and enforce clear standards requiring that all businesses providing child seating and safety equipment, including stores, restaurants, and family venues, must:

Inspect all child seating and safety equipment regularly (at least monthly) for broken, loose, or missing components.

Immediately remove and repair or replace any item found to be unsafe or nonfunctional.

Maintain a minimum standard of cleanliness, ensuring all child seating and safety equipment is cleaned and sanitized routinely and kept visibly free of dirt, sticky residue, and buildup.

Impose fines on establishments found using unsafe or unsanitary child seating and safety equipment, with escalating penalties for repeat violations.

Post visible inspection or sanitation tags (similar to food safety or fire safety notices) showing the most recent safety and cleaning check.

Our Goal

To ensure that every piece of child seating and safety equipment provided in Florida’s stores, restaurants, and family venues is safe, clean, and properly maintained, protecting children, reassuring parents, and promoting accountability in every community.

This is a simple, low-cost, and high-impact policy that will prevent injuries, reduce illness, and build public trust in all family-oriented establishments.

Take Action

Sign this petition to urge the Florida Department of Health and Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to establish and enforce statewide safety and cleanliness standards for all child seating and safety equipment.

Together, we can make shopping, dining, and recreation truly safe and clean for every child in Florida.