This search works best if you enter only your county or larger city area.ģ) Local fire and police departments – Even though not all firefighters and police officers are certified CPSTs, these public servants can often direct you to local resources.ĥ) Local women’s and children’s services – WIC, Department of Public Health, Dept of Child Services or other similar groupsĦ) Call 211 for Essential Community Resources.
Go to Safe Kids’ CPS Certification website and click on Find a technician/instructor on the right hand side of the page. To find a local coalition, please check the Safe Kids website.Ģ) Local CPSTs – Even if you don’t have a local Safe Kids Coalition, many communities still have certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) that can direct you where to go.
Here are a few resources that may be able to provide free and reduced price seats:ġ) Local Safe Kids Coalition – Many Safe Kids coalitions supply free or reduced price seats or can recommend where they can be acquired in your area. There is hope, a seat can be found for your child. What can I do?’ This is a scenario we hear more than we’d like to.
Parents also shouldn’t be shy about asking if there are guns or weapons in a home they visit, and asking that these items be locked and stored where kids can’t get them.‘My family is going through a rough patch and we don’t have enough money to buy a safe car seat for our child. A common cause of poisoning is household cleaners, which are often stored in cabinets low to the ground right at toddler level. When the trip is to visit friends or relatives, it can help to ask hosts to put medications, cleaners or other potentially dangerous items out of reach before toddlers arrive in the house, Clark added.īringing extra safety devices like cabinet latches and baby gates can also help keep curious kids from getting into places where they might be hurt or injured. Many airlines allow parents to check a car seat for free, and some ride share and car service companies can offer reservations with car seats. To prevent injuries during family vacations, parents should either bring a car seat or rent one at their destination, Clark advised. Overall, 15 percent of parents surveyed said they did not put their toddler in a car seat for every car ride on a recent trip, with the majority of cases involving taxi or shared ride services such as Uber or Lyft.Īpproximately 40 percent of parents paid attention to medications, cleaning supplies, weapons and water temperature during their most recent vacation, while 3 percent reported doing none of these things. The nationally representative poll asked parents with at least one child aged 2 to 5 about recent travel habits. “They may be less fastidious while on vacation, leaving medications in open suitcases or on hotel tables or not childproofing a relative’s house,” said poll co-director Sarah Clark.Įach year, millions of families with toddlers travel during the holiday season, leaving behind daily routines and a childproofed home environment. That’s because parents sometimes skip things like car seats and keeping medications or weapons out of reach, according to a new report from the University of Michigan’s C.S. Traveling during the holidays is stressful enough without adding kids to the mix, and a new survey suggests that when children are involved, the trips can pose serious safety risks for little ones.