KANSAS CITY, Mo. (InvestigateTV) — A father who lost his 2-year-old son to a furniture tip-over has built the only child-safety demonstration house in the United States to prevent similar tragedies.
Brett Horn founded Charlie’s House in Kansas City, Missouri, after his son Charlie died when a 30-inch dresser fell on him in 2007. The interactive home teaches parents about hidden dangers that experts say cause 90% of childhood accidents.
“My wife and I had no idea that our home wasn’t completely safe, and we wanted to ensure that this type of accident didn’t happen to anyone else,” Horn said.
Furniture tip-overs kill hundreds of children
Between 2000 and 2018, more than 450 children in the United States were killed by furniture tip-overs.
“The dresser that fell on him didn’t even make a sound because unfortunately Charlie’s body was trapped between the dresser and the floor,” Horn said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission launched an “Anchor It” campaign in 2015, encouraging parents to anchor furniture to walls.
Then, in 2023, Congress passed the STURDY Act, which requires an anchor to be included with every piece of furniture sold in the United States.
Interactive house highlights hidden dangers
The demonstration house includes a living room, bathroom, nursery and kitchen with a working stove, but no one lives there.
Stacy Winkler, the assistant to the director of Charlie’s House, guides visitors through potential hazards.
“This is a pretend home. The stairs over there don’t go anywhere, they just go up to a landing,” Winkler said.
The house demonstrates dangers including cabinet corners, electric appliances, vitamin overdoses and toilet-drowning risks.
Winkler said most people don’t know that children can drown in toilets.
“Ninety percent of all accidents to children happened in the home and 90% of those are preventable,” Winkler said.
Free safety supplies and virtual tours available
Charlie’s House provides free or discounted childproofing supplies to families nationwide who cannot afford safety equipment.
“Cost is an issue for parents who are wanting to properly childproof their home,” Horn said. “Charlie’s House can ship supplies anywhere around the country.”
For families who cannot visit in person, the organization offers Charlie’s Safety House app, which provides virtual tours of the demonstration house on mobile devices.
Safety standards change frequently, and cribs used for older children may no longer meet current requirements for younger siblings, according to Charlie’s House.
“I want Charlie’s legacy to be that other children are not harmed from simple things in their own home,” Horn said. “And I believe we’re accomplishing that.”
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