I agree, keeping kids safe is the most important thing. And doing all we can to shape and influence safety in all aspects of appropriate parenting, and avoiding the circumstances and situations where accidents can occur.
Adoptive parents, and foster parents (the overwhelming number of which are ALREADY law abiding and safe, or they wouldn't be approved to adopt or foster) are required to take a lot of parenting educational classes, and submit to background checks, and ongoing supervision after adoption. It's just too bad, IMO, that this same level of education, background checks, and supervision isn't applied to EVERY person who seeks to become a parent, because there is clearly (according to their behavior and background) a large swath of our population who should not reproduce, or attempt to raise children. IMO. (And I can hear the sputtering and indignation.)
Anyway, having said that, focusing on education of adults is the best method for keeping kids safe around guns.
And that means BOTH adults who own guns, as well as adults who DO NOT own guns. Anyone who parents a child, or spends any amount of time supervising children, should be educated on how to talk with kids about guns, and gun safety. I personally think a gun safety topic should be added to the DARE curriculum, or taught at least once a year K-12. EVERY child should know abut gun safety, just as we worry about whether they can swim, and teach "stranger danger", fire safety plans, and "bad touching".
Gun safety is for ALL kids, not just kids of legal gun owners. Personally, I think kids in homes that
don't own guns are at FAR greater risk than kids who live in homes with guns, because they may have so little practical knowledge or discussion about safety at home, and may be more curious than kids who are educated on safety on an ongoing basis.
This is a good start:
https://eddieeagle.nra.org/parents
Parents play a key role in developing safe practices and are ultimately responsible for the behavior and safety of their children. Isolated lessons and concepts can quickly be forgotten but with repetition, children remember standard safety procedures. The goal of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program is to help you bring up an important safety issue with your child. It's not a complicated or confusing message, and it's easy and fun to teach. If children see a gun, they need to remember:
STOP!
This first step is crucial. Stopping first allows your child the time he or she needs to remember the rest of the safety instructions.
Dont Touch
A firearm that is not touched or disturbed is unlikely to fire and otherwise endanger your child or other people.
Run Away
This removes the temptation to touch the firearm as well as the danger that another person may negligently cause it to fire.
Tell a Grown-up
Children should seek a trustworthy adult, neighbor, relative or teacher if a parent or guardian is not available.