Health departments awarded car seat mini-grant

Published 12:01 am Friday, January 31, 2020

All six county health departments in the North Georgia Health District, including in Whitfield and Murray, were awarded the 2020 Car Seat Mini-Grant by the Georgia Department of Public Health Injury Prevention Program.

Through the mini-grant, the county health departments and collaborating partners work together to provide car seats and education to financially-eligible families.

This program is funded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to help ensure Georgia’s children are safe while riding in motor vehicles.

Since 2007, the education, car seats and booster seats provided through the mini-grant prevented serious injury or death and saved more than 300 Georgia children who were involved in crashes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car seats reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent among infants and by 54 percent among children ages 1 to 4 in passenger cars. Car seats offer the best protection for children in the event of a crash, and they are most effective when installed and used correctly. However, nearly three out of every four car seats are not used properly, placing children at unnecessary risk.

The mini-grant provides grant recipients the training and resources needed to help protect children from serious injuries or death in motor vehicle crashes.

In the six counties, health departments and collaborating partners, such as law enforcement, EMA, EMS, fire departments and other organizations, educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use car seats, offer car seat inspections and provide car seats and booster seats to financially-eligible families.

For more information about the car seat program at county health departments in north Georgia or to contact the health departments, log on to www.nghd.org and click the “Locations” tab.