by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
When new parents hear the word “child proofing,” they may think of plastic electrical outlet covers or protective fences that are much more of a hassle than helpful. But child proofing is much more than that.
Bryan and Elaine Deschaine have taken child proofing on as a job and started a company called Ba-be Safe. After about two years of being in business, they are now Northeast Florida’s leading child proofing company and an authorized distributor for Protect-A-Child Pool Fencing.
The idea of opening a child proofing company came up before their grandson Landon was born. Bryan was a manager of an apartment complex and had a background in maintenance work and Elaine’s background was in marketing.
“We’ve both worked in the corporate world and nothing is this fulfilling because we may be saving a life,” said Elaine. “Back when we were raised in the 1950s and 60s ‘child proofing’ wasn’t around. Our parents would just tell us ‘no.’
“We started researching (child proofing) and we found out this is just another layer of protection.”
Ba-be Safe specializes in installing home and pool safety products. Because every house is different, the Deschaines have made sure to have the proper equipment and products to cater to every home. Even though his background is in maintenance work, Bryan was required to get his carpenters license.
Lidia Plympton, the Deschaine’s daughter-in-law, had their home child proofed before their son Landon was born.
“Things happen in a split second,” she said. “We can’t protect them from everything, but I would die without the cabinet latches.
“Especially being a new parent, you don’t know how kids are and how smart they are.”
Bryan and Elaine recommend that a house be child proofed before the baby is born.
If families are interested in Ba-be Safe’s services, they can contact Elaine and Bryan to set up an appointment for Bryan to come to the house and do an evaluation.
“An evaluation of the whole house takes a few hours,” he said. “I write everything down, room by room. When I get home I have a computer system to plug everything into that gives me a total of the items and installation costs.”
Elaine said they give the family a “hazard report” to let them know what they think the family needs.
“In the long run it saves parents money, time and the frustration,” she said.
The customer will receive the best product that is available — products that are nothing like what’s found in retail stores. Bryan has tried different companies and different products in an effort to use the highest quality equipment available.
“It may cost a couple hundred dollars to $1,500 a house, but that’s one trip to the emergency room,” said Bryan.
Once the family decides what areas of the home they would like to be child proofed, Bryan will come back to the house to do the installation. Bryan said the family can install the products themselves if they choose to do so.
“It may take a few hours, a day, a day-and-a-half to get everything installed because every house is different and every family is different,” he said.
Some of the products that Elaine and Bryan offer include:
• safety gates for hallways and stairs
• outlet plugs and covers for adaptors
• edge cushions
• drawer and cabinet locks
• soft spout cover for bath tubs
• toilet latches
• stove, burner and fireplace guards
• knob covers
• plastic door stops
• cord shorteners
• pool fences
“These are all road blocks,” said Bryan. “Every house is unique so you have to be creative and prepared for anything.”
Bryan and Elaine are members of the International Association of Child Safety. For more information or to contact Ba-be Safe call 904-566-4968 or visit www.babesafejax.com.