Handmade Toy Alliance members to attend CPSC workshops this week

Online, December 8, 2009 (Newswire.com) - The Handmade Toy Alliance (HTA) will send five of their nine Board members to the upcoming Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) workshops this Thursday and Friday, December 10th and 11th, 2009. HTA President, Cecilia Leibovitz (VT), HTA Vice President, Dan Marshall (MN), HTA Secretary, Jill Chuckas (CT), HTA Treasurer, Mary Newell (OR), and Board Member, Kate Glynn (MA) will represent the 399 members of the Handmade Toy Alliance as active participants at the workshop.

"Our mission remains clear. We continue to seek an amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that includes risk assessment," states Marshall. "But, we are excited to be included in this opportunity to enact policy that may assist our members."

The workshop is designed to address issues relating to test programs, material changes to children's products and third-party testing, component testing, and product labeling. Those present will have the ability to present comments, views, and questions. Marshall, Chuckas and Newell have been selected to participate as panelists in some of the roundtable discussions during the workshop. In addition to these discussions, there will be formal presentations from CPSC staff relating to the implementation of the CPSIA.

"We were not present when the original legislation was being written," Chuckas stated. "This is our chance to share our concerns with the regulatory agency in the hopes that our voices will help shape the policy surrounding the CPSIA."

"Our members continue to have multiple questions," added Newell. "This is a lengthy and difficult act to understand and implement into basic business practice. Our members are generally small, micro businesses that often do not have access to lawyers or others that can help them interpret the CPSIA in an effort to prove compliance. We will do our best to represent all of our concerns directly to the staff at the CPSC."

The HTA includes retail stores, toymakers and children's product manufacturers from across the country who want to preserve consumer access to unique handmade toys, clothes and all manner of small batch children's goods in the USA. Formed in November of 2008 in response to the CPSIA, HTA members are parents, grandparents and consumers who are passionate about their businesses as well as the safety of the children in their lives. While in support of the spirit of the law, the unintended consequences of the CPSIA have motivated members of the HTA to work to enact change at a federal level. For more information, visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org.

Dan Marshall, co-owner
Peapods Natural Toys & Baby Care (St. Paul, MN)
Tel. 651-238-8398
[email protected]

Jill Chuckas, Owner, Designer
Crafty Baby (Stamford, CT)
Tel. 888-788-5168
[email protected]

Cecilia Leibovitz, President
Craftsbury Kids (Montpelier,VT)
Tel. 802-223-7143
[email protected]

Rob Wilson, Vice President,
Challenge & Fun (Ashland, MA)
Tel. 888-384-6200
[email protected]