After an independent 2025 lab study revealed that 82% of children's graduation products sold in the U.S. failed federal safety requirements, Happy Graduates developed the new seal to help schools and families easily recognize child-safe caps, gowns and accessories to protect students and safeguard school reputations. 

Happy Graduates, a brand of children's graduation caps, gowns and accessories sold through leading early education retailers, launches the Tested & Trusted by Happy Graduates Safety Seal. This visible mark quickly identifies graduation products that were independently tested and verified to meet all requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (“CPSIA”) for child-safe products. 

The seal was created in response to an independent 2025 laboratory study by QIMA, an accredited third-party laboratory, that uncovered widespread safety failures across the children's graduation category. Testing included children's graduation caps, gowns, and tassels from 18 brands currently sold in the United States, and the results showed: 

• Happy Graduates' products PASSED ALL CPSIA requirements. 
• 14 of the 17 remaining brands (82%) FAILED CPSIA testing. 
• 9 of those brands (53%) were found to have at least one component that contained a toxic heavy metal, such as lead. 

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is a law that regulates the safety of consumer products in the United States. It sets safety requirements for manufacturers, distributors, retailers, importers, and private labelers. The CPSIA includes specific requirements for children's apparel subject to 16 C.F.R. part 1610 as well as requirements for products intended for children 12 years of age or younger as it relates to lead content, toxic chemicals like phthalates and annual third-party testing for compliance. 

What the New Seal Means 

The Tested & Trusted by Happy Graduates Safety Seal was developed to help schools, childcare centers, and families make informed choices when purchasing graduation products for their children. For administrators and educators, choosing certified-safe products is essential for maintaining parent trust and reinforcing a shared commitment to student safety. 

Every cap, gown and accessory carrying the Tested & Trusted by Happy Graduates Safety Seal:

• Meets or exceeds all CPSIA child-safety requirements, including testing for lead, phthalates, and flammability. 
• Is verified by QIMA, an accredited third-party laboratory, and includes a Children's Product Certificate (“CPC”) for compliance verification and traceability. 
• Is sold exclusively through authorized retailers Rhyme University, Alphabet U, Little Graduates, It’s Elementary, Graduation Authority, National Recognition Products, and Happy Graduates, ensuring one trusted standard wherever customers shop. 

"When we spoke with customers, we learned that most schools and parents assume all children's products sold in the U.S. are automatically tested and proven to meet federal safety regulations, but that's unfortunately not true," said Janet Schuette, Marketing Director for Happy Graduates. "We created the Tested & Trusted Seal to make it easy for educators and families to identify graduation products that have actually been tested and verified safe for children. This protects a school’s reputation and most importantly, it protects its students, the young children wearing these caps and gowns.”