A product made mainly for children 12 and under carries a tracking label: permanent marks on the product and its packaging, as far as practicable, that tell the buyer who made it, where and when it was made, and which batch or run it came from. The maker has to be able to trace the same marks back to the specific source. On a romper it's a sewn-in label; on a toy, a printed tag or a mark molded in; on the box, a printed line. The label is one of three pieces of children's product paperwork, with testing to the rules that apply and a certificate that says so. In the example below, a baby clothes maker builds tracking labels for three batches and keeps a log that can answer a question about any one of them. Below is what the label says, where it goes, the certificate, and a free label builder.
The short version
- Children's products, made mainly for children 12 and under, carry tracking labels.
- The marks are permanent and go on the product and its packaging, to the extent practicable.
- They show the maker or private labeler, the location and date of production, and the batch or run.
- The maker keeps records that tie the marks to the specific source.
- A sewn-in label works for clothing; a printed tag, stamp or molded mark for other products.
- Testing and a children's product certificate go alongside, with the date and place made and tested.
- TaroStack gives each batch a lot and records the fabric lots it used and who bought it. More below.
What the label has to say
| The buyer can tell | The maker can trace | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| The manufacturer or private labeler | The location and date of production | 15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(5) |
| The location and date of production | The batch, run number or other identifying cohort | 15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(5) |
| The batch, run number or other identifying characteristic | Anything else that pins down the specific source | 15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(5) |
The law leaves the format to the maker: the marks only have to be permanent, distinguishing, and readable enough to do their job. A city and state, a month and year, and a batch code meet it for a small maker. This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: three batches of baby clothes
Federal Hill Baby, a made-up baby clothes maker in Providence, Rhode Island, I use in these examples, sews rompers, bib sets and swaddles in batches:
| Product | Batch | Pieces | Tracking label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romper, organic cotton | RMP-2610-03 | 48 | Federal Hill Baby, Providence, RI · Made October 2026 · Batch RMP-2610-03 |
| Bib set of 3 | BIB-2610-02 | 60 | Federal Hill Baby, Providence, RI · Made October 2026 · Batch BIB-2610-02 |
| Muslin swaddle | SWD-2610-01 | 40 | Federal Hill Baby, Providence, RI · Made October 2026 · Batch SWD-2610-01 |
The label is a printed care tag sewn into the side seam of each piece, so it can't come off with washing, and the same line is printed on the hang tag and the box. Behind each batch code, a log holds the fabric and snap lots, the lab report for the snaps' lead content, the certificate, and where the pieces went: thirty rompers online, twelve to Wickenden Kids, six to Little Wonders. If a snap supplier ever reports a problem, the snap lot leads to the batches, and the batches to the boutiques. How a maker plans this business is in baby clothes business plan.
The certificate and testing
A children's product is tested by a CPSC-accepted lab for the rules that apply to it, and the maker issues a children's product certificate listing each rule, who certifies, who keeps the records, and the date and place the product was made and tested (16 CFR 1110.11). A small batch manufacturer that registers with CPSC may get relief from some third-party testing, though not from every rule. How a stuffed toy maker handles the same rules is in teddy bear business plan, and a knitter's in crochet business plan.
Get the label builder
Download the CPSIA tracking label builder. Two sheets: tracking labels, one line for each batch with the product, maker, city and state, first day of the run and batch code, where the label text fills in; and a batch log with the pieces, fabric and trim lots, test reports, certificate and where each batch was sold. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
The label is easy; the tracing is the work. Every batch uses fabric from one roll and snaps from one box, and sells to a dozen customers online and three boutiques. A log typed after the fact misses the romper sold at a market from the wrong batch, and the snap box that went into two batches.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack gives each batch a lot and records the fabric lots it used and who bought it.
Each batch its lot. A run of rompers takes its knit, snaps and labels off stock, records the lots it consumed, automatically, and gets a lot of its own: the batch code for the tracking label.
Test reports with the materials. Fields of your own on each received lot can hold the lab report number for the snaps or the fabric, so the test behind each batch is on the record.
Who got which batch. Each order records the lots each customer got as it ships, so one recall report goes from a snap lot to the batches and on to every boutique and buyer. Lot labels print with GS1-128 barcodes for cases and boxes.
| The job | Log | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| The batch code | Made up each run | Each batch's own lot |
| Which snaps went in | Typed after | Recorded automatically |
| The lab report behind it | A PDF in an email | A field on the snap lot |
| Who bought a batch | Search the orders | One recall report |
Lots, batches and recalls are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.