Covid-19 Series: U.S. Toy Association Supports Industry & Families During Unprecedented Times
By Steve Pasierb, President & CEO, The Toy Association
To all our members and the wider global toy & play community: The U.S. Toy Association team is here for you during these unprecedented times, acting both proactively and responsively to protect all and meet the needs of our friends and colleagues across the business of toys.
I invite everyone – particularly those with business interests in the United States – to visit our COVID-19 resource page, which is continually updated with news impacting the toy and play community and crucial information to help businesses navigate uncertainty, including:
- how U.S. companies can advocate for toys to remain accessible to the 1 billion children worldwide out of school and engaged in at-home learning;
- links to business relief programs and assistance in the U.S.;
- tips on operating a company remotely;
- impacts on international trade; and
- play resources for families balancing working and childcare at home.
We have also announced a series of conference calls (for members only) to provide
guidance on the United States’ $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus relief bill and
discuss how it could assist toy and retail businesses.
Finally, as reported in our weekly Toy News Tuesday newsletter, the ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP), of which The Toy Association is a founding member, is helping global factories and buyers manage the crisis by implementing a number of measures, which include extending factory certification periods and providing guidance on how to responsibly manage areas like increased working hours or managing a downturn in orders. You can read more here.
The toy community is extraordinarily resilient, and business will recover over time as our normal rhythms and patterns of society reemerge. In the meantime, I strongly believe our ability to work together, share, and help one another will absolutely hasten recovery for all. It is heartening to hear stories about how the toy community is lending a hand during the pandemic – from shifting production to make essential medical supplies, to creating free at-home educational and play resources for parents, to helping source and deliver critical safety equipment to hospitals and first responders. Let’s each continue to do whatever we can to get through these trying times. And, send messages of hope to families. The Toy Association wishes the very best to you, your families, your employees, and your colleagues.
