Beterem - The National Center for Child Safety and Health

Beterem - The National Center for Child Safety and Health (Hebrew: ארגון בטרם - בטיחות ילדים) is an Israeli non-profit organization (amuta) founded in 1995 at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva by Dr. Michal Hemmo-Lotem and Prof. Yehuda Danon. It works to promote the safety and protect the lives of all children in Israel, and to prevent injuries from accidents at home, during leisure time, and on the roads. The organization operates nationwide in cooperation with government ministries, public and municipal bodies, social organizations, and businesses. According to the World Health Organization, unintentional injuries (accidents) are the leading cause of injury and death among infants, children, and adolescents worldwide. In Israel, about 206,000 children visit emergency rooms each year — roughly one-third of all ER visits — and about 26,000 are hospitalized. On average, about 124 children lose their lives each year due to accidents at home, on the roads, and in public spaces. Accidents such as drowning, choking, poisoning, falls, burns, and road accidents as pedestrians, passengers, or riders cause loss, disability, pain, and translate into significant economic and social costs at the family and national levels. Experience in Israel and worldwide has shown that about 95% of these injuries can be prevented. Beterem operates through a multi-systemic model combining six activity channels: policy and systemic changes (initiating and promoting legislation, standards, and enforcement for child safety); research and programs (creating change-shaping goals and metrics, initiating epidemiological and behavioral studies as a basis for developing, implementing, and evaluating programs); improving infrastructure and products (encouraging initiatives to create safe products, infrastructure, and environments for children, e.g., roundabouts in localities, helmets, child-resistant caps for hazardous materials); empowerment and capacity building (centralizing and disseminating professional knowledge about risks and prevention, developing and implementing programs in education and health systems, training change agents, consulting and supporting local implementers and residents); marketing and awareness design (marketing and exposure to embed child safety as part of parental responsibility and family lifestyle); and resource development (raising and developing funding sources for intervention programs and change). The organization has extensive activity in Arab society in general and Bedouin society in particular. One of its goals set for 2030 is to reduce Bedouin child mortality from injuries by 50%, as they constitute the most significant risk group in Israeli society. The association's activity turnover for 2019 was 13 million NIS. In February 2012, the organization held a national conference on child safety with about 1,000 participants from media, public relations, road safety, business, and local authorities. Beterem publishes the "Beterem Report to the Nation" every three years in cooperation with the Ministry of Health — a comprehensive report presenting all data on child injuries from unintentional injuries in Israel, including mortality, hospitalization, and ER data, examining trends over time by population groups and socio-economic segments, serving as a professional and academic authority and as a basis for decision-makers and policymakers. The organization is the Israeli representative of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization that began in the United States in the mid-1990s and has reduced child injuries in the US by 45% during its activity. Beterem is also a member of the European Child Safety Alliance of the European Union.

Beterem was founded in 1995 at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva by Dr. Michal Hemmo-Lotem and Prof. Yehuda Danon. It was established as a non-profit organization (amuta) to address the leading cause of injury and death among children in Israel: unintentional injuries. From its inception, the organization adopted a multi-systemic approach, working with government ministries, public and municipal bodies, social organizations, and businesses to promote child safety. In February 2012, Beterem held a national conference on child safety with about 1,000 participants from media, public relations, road safety, business, and local authorities. In 2011, the organization received the President's Award for Volunteerism for its diverse activities in service of society and community for children. In 2016, it received the Knesset Chairman's Award for effective activity and results in Arab society. In 2017–2018, it received the Minister of Welfare Shield for Volunteers for two consecutive years for effective activity in Arab society. In 2020, Beterem presented to the Knesset Committee for the Rights of the Child a goal to reduce child injuries by 35% by 2030 through concrete targets for reducing mortality in road accidents and drownings, the main causes of death. This followed a 53% decline in child mortality up to 2020. The organization also set a goal to reduce Bedouin child mortality from injuries by 50% by 2030, as Bedouin children constitute the most significant risk group in Israeli society. Beterem publishes the "Beterem Report to the Nation" every three years in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. This comprehensive report presents all data on child injuries from unintentional injuries in Israel, including mortality, hospitalization, and ER data, and examines trends over time by population groups and socio-economic segments. It serves as a professional and academic authority and as a basis for decision-makers and policymakers. The organization is the Israeli representative of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization that began in the United States in the mid-1990s and has reduced child injuries in the US by 45% during its activity. Beterem is also a member of the European Child Safety Alliance of the European Union. The association's activity turnover for 2019 was 13 million NIS.

• 2020

  Presented to the Knesset Committee for the Rights of the Child a goal to reduce child injuries by 35% by 2030.

• 2018

  Received the Minister of Welfare Shield for Volunteers for effective activity in Arab society (second consecutive year).

• 2017

  Received the Minister of Welfare Shield for Volunteers for effective activity in Arab society (first of two consecutive years).

• 2016

  Received the Knesset Chairman's Award for effective activity and results in Arab society.

• 2012

  Held a national conference on child safety with about 1,000 participants.

• 2011

  Received the President's Award for Volunteerism for diverse activities in service of society and community for children.

• 1995

  Beterem founded at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva by Dr. Michal Hemmo-Lotem and Prof. Yehuda Danon.

National non-profit authority for child safety in Israel, operating through a multi-systemic model combining policy, research, infrastructure, empowerment, marketing, and resource development.

• Beterem Report to the Nation

  Comprehensive report published every three years with the Ministry of Health, presenting all data on child injuries from unintentional injuries in Israel.

• Safe behavior course for early childhood frameworks

  Course on safe conduct in early childhood settings.

• Games for Safety with Gali and Bobi

  Program for children aged 2-4 that instills safe behavior habits through games and songs.

• Beterem Expert Hotline

  Hotline where Beterem experts answer safety-related questions from the public.

1. 1ארגון בטרם - בטיחות ילדיםbeterem.org
2. 2Beterem - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3בטרם - המרכז הלאומי לבטיחות ולבריאות ילדים - Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org