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The Scrubby Bear Hand Washing Program
Fewer coldsEffective against Hepatitis AEffective in preventing Infectious Diarrhea Promotes healthier childrenDecreases school absenteeismGood hand washing habits are not just for children!
The Scrubby Bear® hand washing program consists of materials developed to aid in instructing children as to the importance of good hand washing habits in preventing diseases such as Infectious Diarrhea, Hepatitis A, and colds. Scrubby Bear® reminds children and adults that infection can be fought through frequent hand washing. Scrubby is an immediate reminder to scrub your hands, reinforced by his message, “Don’t get sick, Wash up quick!” Children love Scrubby and really respond to his message. The program is most appropriate for children ages 4 through 7. Although the written and verbal materials are currently available in English only, they have been successfully used by schools, hospitals, health agencies and day care centers throughout the world.
Scrubby Bear® originally began at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pediatric Oncology Branch as “T. Bear”. T Bear was the symbol of a national initiative to remind children, parents, health care personnel, day care providers and educators that infection could be combated through frequent hand washing.
Based on its success at the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, the Department of Health and Human Services developed the concept into a national campaign with the goal of reducing the frequency of transmission of infections in day care centers, elementary schools, and hospitals across the country. In order to ensure the long-range success of the program, the Department established the “Scrubby Bear® Foundation” in 1984.
The American Red Cross obtained the rights (registered trade mark, copyrights, and intellectual property) from the Department of Health and Human Services in 1988 after the Scrubby Bear® Foundation was disbanded in 1987. A cooperative agreement was then negotiated between the American Red Cross and the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), a service of the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institutes of Health to maintain the Scrubby Bear® program and plan for its future. Under that agreement, NDDIC was responsible for administering the program and responding to field inquiries until Scrubby Bear® could be incorporated into the American Red Cross Child Care Course. After careful consideration, it was determined that the full potential of Scrubby Bear® could only be realized if it were maintained as a separate program.
In response to a proposal, the American Red Cross, National Headquarters, transferred the responsibility for the Scrubby Bear® program to its Orange County Chapter in September 1989. Working cooperatively with NDDIC the Orange County Chapter then developed a program brochure and revised the slogan of this national “spokesbear” to “Scrubby Bear® says, Don’t get sick, Wash up quick!”
For more information, please email us at scrubby@oc-redcross.org.
Click here to order Scrubby Bear.
601 N. Golden Circle Drive, Santa Ana, CA, 92705
Phone: (714) 481-5300 Website: www.oc-redcross.org
