The following items can be used to help secure your home and protect your child from wandering:

Door/Window Alarms: Families can purchase wireless door and window alarms (example) that are easy to install and emit a chime or alarm when the door is opened. In cases where numerous doors and windows must be alarmed, it may also be worth looking into a home security alarm service.

Door/Window Locks: Locks (example 1 and example 2) can also deter accidental wandering. Locks should be placed out of reach, or in cases where the wanderer can use furniture or otherwise access the lock, a keyed lock should be used.

Bed Tents: Bed tents (example) can help prevent children from engaging in night time wandering while providing your child with an additional sense of security.

Motion Sensing Alarms: Another option to alert caregivers to nighttime wandering are portable motion sensor alarms (example) that detect when your child is awake and moving about.

Fences: Fences should be as tall as community ordinances allow, difficult to scale and all gates should be locked. Both Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties allow the use of Family Resource Dollars for home modifications and may be willing to provide funding for fence installation. For more information, contact your county board and request a home safety assessment.

In addition to protecting your child from wandering from the home, caregivers should also consider items to prevent wandering while out in the community:

Safety Harnesses: Safety harnesses (example) can help you keep your child from bolting while out in public places. This can be especially important once your child is too big to fit in a shopping cart or too heavy for you to pick up.

Accessible Parking Placard: If your child has a history of wandering in parking lots, you may be able to get a prescription for an accessible parking placard from your child's primary care provider.

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Lock It & Forget It?

Just because your child is secured in a locked area, doesn't mean he or she is 100% safe from wandering. Motivated wanderers have been known to outsmart child-proof locks by moving furniture and getting hold of keys without the caregiver's notice. While securing your home can help prevent wandering, caregivers should consider implementing multiple measures as outlined in the S.T.O.P. tips.