Our Story
Our Babies Made Us Do It
Our child proofing story began when we realized trusted safety resources didn’t exist. So, we built what families truly needed. Baby proofing is a journey, and we’ve lived it firsthand.
2014
CHAPTER 1
Baby Proofing Panic!
Summer 2014, the Bishop-Smith Family move into their new home with daughters, Lily, 3 years old, and Aerin, 6 months old.
Shortly after, Baby Aerin is crawling! They need a baby gate – STAT. Every outlet, corner, and staircase suddenly feels dangerous—especially the iron banisters that seem impossible to secure safely.
With bleary mom-tired eyes, Alisa reads parenting blogs, magazine articles, and baby gate reviews. What she finds is a mess: home safety expertise is scarce, child safety products are largely unregulated, and there is no clear guidance for her railings or a safe baby gate solution for her stairs.
Like many overwhelmed new parents, she goes to Buy Buy Baby, searching for answers. She wanders the aisles crying, desperate for answers, while well-meaning sales associates offer the only advice they have – don’t install a pressure gate at the top of the stairs. No one could explain what would work, or how to install something safely in a real home like hers.
Out of options she buys a gate anyway. It looks right. It promises safety. And within two weeks, it rips out of the wall.
2015-2017
CHAPTER 2
Be the Solution
Alisa accepts a position at a local baby proofing company.
After passing the Home Hazards Test, Alisa becomes a Child Safety Consultant at Baby Proofing Montgomery, where she starts working directly with families in their homes. As she helps new parents identify risks and install safety solutions, she quickly recognizes a pattern: the anxiety and confusion she had felt as a new parent herself was widespread. Families weren’t just looking for products—they were looking for clarity, reassurance, and guidance they could actually trust.
During this time, Alisa trains under Bobby Brooner, a Certified Professional Child Proofer, gaining valuable experience in hazard assessment, installation best practices, and real-world problem solving. Working side by side with an experienced professional sharpens her technical skills while reinforcing the importance of thoughtful, customized safety solutions. These early years laid the groundwork for Alisa’s approach to child safety and shaped the philosophy that would later become the foundation of Safe Start.
2020-2021
CHAPTER 3
Mom on a Mission
Alisa founds Safe Start Child Proofing LLC, offering parents in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia safety consultations and professional baby proofing installations.
This new baby proofing company isn’t just about installing gates – it helps families think practically about keeping their children safe, and explore how child safety fit into their everyday lives. Practical methods and flexibility quickly set Safe Start apart from traditional baby proofing companies.
As demand grows, Alisa hires her first employee and Safe Start gains an outstanding reputation for honest guidance, high standards, and top-quality work. There is an overwhelming demand for in-person child proofing which quickly outpaces availability, confirming the need for a smarter, more thoughtful way to think about home safety.
2023
CHAPTER 4
Talking About a Revolution
Baby Proofing Montgomery joins Safe Start Child Proofing to partner with Alisa. They brainstorm, they research, they decide:
New parents are consistently overwhelmed by conflicting advice and low-quality baby proofing products, with no clear way to know what actually works in real homes.
After years spent inside thousands of houses, Alisa creates Safe Start to fill that gap with a more modern, expert-driven approach to home safety. The goal is simple: give families a trustworthy resource for child safety by pairing professional guidance with carefully vetted products that are proven to work. By focusing on practical solutions, clear education, and thoughtful installation that respects how a home looks and functions, Safe Start helps families create safer environments without sacrificing usability or aesthetics.
Safe Start Child LLC is founded
Today
Safe Start will change how parents think about safety at home
Safe Start is revolutionizing the baby proofing business model by giving families access to the essential knowledge required to create a safe home.
"We believe that every baby deserves a safe start and every parent should have access to the best resources to make that possible"
Alisa Bishop
