Local daycare offers relief from heat with 'Hot Car Initiative'

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- While highs aren’t as hot as the 90s, we saw a couple weeks ago, it is still unsafe to leave your kids in the car, but one daycare is offering a solution.

Temperatures climbing into the 80s and sunny, the perfect conditions for cars to heat up quickly.

“No matter if it’s 20, 60, 80, it doesn’t matter whatever the temperature is. Or how long it is.”

Dr. Emma Dunfee from the South Bend Clinic says that even if you’re running a quick errand, you should not keep your child in the car, which is where Bright Beginnings Family Childcare steps in.

“No parent should ever have to choose between the safety of their child, and you know providing a necessity to the children. We are here; we are an option. We of course invite other providers in on this wonderful initiative of keeping these babies safe.”

Ashley Nance director of the daycare tells me in association with Storkii, the daycare is offering one free hour of childcare on days that are over 75 degrees, and that doesn’t go for just the summer months.

“Every year we hear so many different tragic stories about children being left so this isn’t a one and done issue. We want to put the word out there [and] of course continue.”

However, if your kids are with you while you’re out and about, Dr. Dunfee has these tips:

“There’s always a lot of things going on in our minds and I always tell them [parents] two things: One, have something of the kids in the front seat of your car, so it’s always a little bit of a reminder in the front seat of your car. Like, in your passenger seat of your car when you’re driving like hey, I might have a kid in the back seat. But also have something of yours in the backseat like your purse, your wallet, your cell phone even. Something that’s important to you that you need for your day.”