Ethical Toy Program and The Toy Association Launch New Strategic Partnership

London, New York, and Washington, DC | October 16, 2017 – the Ethical Toy Program – the toy industry’s ethical supply chain program – and The Toy Association today announced a new collaboration to support the continued development of the Ethical Toy Program for the benefit of workers in global toy factories, toy companies, licensors, and retailers.For more than a decade, the Ethical Toy Program has worked closely with the global toy industry to ensure that toys are manufactured responsibly and ethically, protecting the rights and well-being of millions of toy factory workers.The Ethical Toy Program’s new strategic collaboration with the U.S.-based Toy Association is the first in a series of new partnerships that will see the Ethical Toy Program work with other national toy associations around the world to further develop, scale, and promote responsible sourcing collaborations that will result in additional support for small- and medium-sized (SME) toy companies.Through this collaboration, The Toy Association will directly fund and support the Ethical Toy Program’s work, while offering the Ethical Toy Program’s range of services to its SME members. These benefits will include access to the Ethical Toy Program’s Ethical Sourcing Database and monthly bulletins. Toy Association members will also be offered an exclusive discount for individual membership in the Ethical Toy Program Buyer Membership. The Toy Association made a $100,000 USD grant to the Ethical Toy Program for 2017 and committed to an association-level membership for 2018. “We know that small- and medium-sized toy companies are committed to responsible sourcing, but they sometimes lack the resources needed to actively engage in the ICTI CARE program,” said Carmel Giblin, president & CEO of the Ethical Toy Program. “Our exciting new collaboration with The Toy Association will extend the reach of our program, enabling more toy companies to source ethically, reduce costs, and drive efficiencies. We hope this starts the journey for many to become full Ethical Toy Program Members. We thank The Toy Association for this investment and their support since our founding.” Added Giblin: “Working together more formally will help the Ethical Toy Program understand how we can better support not only The Toy Association but also other toy associations and their members around the world as we continue to invest in and develop the Ethical Toy Program.”Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association, said: “Our members are steadfast in their commitment to product safety, regulatory compliance, and responsible sourcing through codes like the Ethical Toy Program. As an association, we seek to help our members understand that the Ethical Toy Program goes well beyond their excellent Code and work in factories to offer a range of invaluable services making them the program of choice. This new collaboration provides access to industry-leading tools and support for our members, regardless of size, saving them time and costs. As toy manufacturing becomes even more global, we are proud to continue our support of the Ethical Toy Program as they grow beyond their established roots in China.”The partnership also provides Toy Association members with access to the Ethical Toy Program’s on-the-ground expert teams in China and India, and immediate alerts on factory incidents and terminations to enable proactive management of risk and minimization of supply chain disruption. About the Ethical Toy Programwww.ethicaltoyprogram.orgThe Ethical Toy Program is the ethical supply chain program for the global toy industry. We work with thousands of brands, retailers, suppliers, NGOs, and other civil society groups to monitor, manage, and fix social sustainability issues in the toy industry supply chain across the world, and to protect and improve labor standards. Over 1,100 toy factories, located in 10 countries, are certified by the Ethical Toy Program, representing more than 600,000 workers. We offer a range of resources to enable toy brands, retailers, and suppliers achieve responsible sourcing aims and drive standards. We lead the industry with far-reaching and specialized audits, a robust ethical certification scheme, capability building and training programs, education, as well as peer-to-peer learning. About The Toy Associationwww.toyassociation.org / www.thegeniusofplay.org / www.playsafe.orgFounded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $80.25 billion, and its 950+ members drive the annual $26 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned North American International Toy Fair and Fall Toy Preview; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard. Contact:Adrienne AppellThe Toy Association(+1) 646.520.4863 aappell@toyassociation.orgMark RobertsonEthical Toy Program(+44) 07872 041 444 mark.robertson@ethicaltoyprogram.org