Programs

Child Passenger Safety

Car crashes remain the number one killer of children ages 3-14 in the United States. Safe Kids Worldwide and its program partner, General Motors, created Safe Kids Buckle Up in 1996 to teach families about keeping children safe in and around vehicles. The program offers parents and caregivers hands-on instruction about car seats, booster seats and seat belts and presents interactive educational programs for children ages 14 and under.

Safe Kids York County participates in the Safe Kids Buckle Up program and has developed a network of grassroots volunteers including nationally certified child passenger safety technicians, transportation safety experts, police officers, nurses, retailers and General Motors dealerships. 

Car Seat Checkup Services
Research shows that more than 7 out of 10 child safety seats are not used properly, and approximately half of all children who die in crashes are not restrained at all. In response, Safe Kids coordinates with community partners to provide a car seat “Checkup” service in York County. Through this FREE service, parents and caregivers receive personal assistance from certified child passenger safety technicians.

During a car seat Checkup, technicians:

• Ensure that the car seat brought by the family has not been recalled
• Provide hands on instruction on how to correctly place a child in a child safety seat
• Assist parents with the installation of their child’s car seat in the vehicle
• Offer tips on how to choose an age, height and weight appropriate child safety seat

Parents and caregivers may schedule an appointment for a car seat Checkup at a Buckle Up Child Safety Seat Inspection Station. WellSpan Community Health Improvement coordinates the Safe Kids Buckle Up program in York County and hosts an inspection station with appointments available Monday through Friday. Additional inspection sites are also located throughout the county. For an appointment at the WellSpan inspection station or for a referral to another location, call 1-888-232-SAFE (7233)

Buckle Up Checkup Events are also scheduled at GM dealerships and other convenient locations throughout county. Parents and caregivers receive the same personal assistance at these events but are not required to make an appointment.

Safety In and Around Vehicles
While the majority of deaths to children involving motor vehicles are traffic related, approximately ten percent of deaths are reported as non-traffic related and include children killed in driveways, parking lots and on sidewalks. The Safe Kids Spot the Tot program teaches parents and caregivers to take a quick walk around their vehicles before driving to make sure that there are no children or other objects around the vehicle.

For more information about the Spot the Tot program and other programs to promote child safety seat use, call 1-888-232-SAFE (7233).

The Cub Scout Automotive Patch Program
Safe Kids Worldwide and Chevrolet have teamed up with the Boy Scouts of America to develop a program to teach Cub Scouts and their parents and caregivers about safety in and around vehicles. This hands-on program is conducted by local Safe Kids partners and held at Chevrolet dealerships. The entire process takes between 60 and 90 minutes. After the Scouts successfully complete all of the educational stations, they are presented with their Automotive Safety Patch. This program is new in York County. Cub Scout leaders wishing to participate should call 1-888-232-SAFE (7233). Additional program details may also be found at www.usa.safekids.org .

Child Passenger Safety Training
The National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training Program certifies individuals as child passenger safety technicians and instructors. This training program is 4 days in length. The goal of the program is to provide the participant with the knowledge and hands-on practice in order to develop child passenger safety technical skills; identify and correct misuse of child restraints; educate others on child passenger safety issues; and reduce potential liability through standardization. CPS technicians and instructors put their knowledge to work through a variety of activities, including child safety seat Checkups. Safe Kids York County hosts one to two technician certification courses each year and provides ongoing continuing education opportunities for technicians.

Safe Kids York County also develops and presents child passenger safety workshops to meet the needs of law enforcement, hospital staff and health and human service agencies.

Bike Helmet Safety

For the past six years various police departments and community agencies have
partnered with Safe Kids in grant sponsored initiatives to provide education, skills training and helmets to children ages four - thirteen. The York County Sheriffs Department and the City of York Police Department both target high risk children at community fairs and bike rodeos.

Their biggest event is the York County Fair, held yearly during the month of September. Additional information is distributed by coalition members. Safe Kids provides “program in a box” resources for bike rodeos to various organizations including Girl Scouts and some schools. CHI partners with the Junior Achievement to provide 100 helmets per year to 5th graders attending Exchange City.

Discounted helmets are available to families throughout the year at the York County Parks system and local pedestrian offices (York Hospital Pediatric department coordinates the peds program).

Safe Kids Walk this Way Pedestrian Safety Program

New in 2007, the York County Coalition planned and implemented the Safe Kids International Walk this Way program. For International Walk to School Day, held Oct. 3rd, three early learning centers and one community center participated in children’s
pedestrian safety programs. Over 100 children participated in interactive educational activities, received parental educational materials, and conducted an informal survey of walking conditions in their neighborhoods.

For the October Halloween Safety event, 1000 reflective trick or treat bags were distributed over a three week period, with information on evening pedestrian safety, and how to be a safer driver during the Halloween season.

Cribs for Kids

The York County Cribs for Kids Program was started in June of 2005 to help reduce
infant mortality in York County. The York County program was modeled after the Pittsburgh Cribs for Kids Program, which targeted the alarming rate of young infant deaths observed among low-income families in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh program quickly demonstrated a greater than 50% reduction in the number of infant deaths related to unsafe sleeping in Allegheny County. The success of the program has inspired others to replicate the program and there are now over 100 Cribs for Kids
partners in 32 states. The York program is directly affiliated with SIDS-PA which oversees all of the Cribs for Kids affiliates.

Since its inception, the York County Cribs for Kids Program has completed many achievements. YCCFK has helped over 400 families, providing a safe sleep environment with a Pac ‘N’ Play to prevent accidental suffocation. YCCFK continues with public education efforts through information pieces on television, radio, and the newspapers. YCCFK also works with other services such as the Moms and
Mentors program at the YWCA to provide education on safe sleep habits for infants.

YCCFK’s program goal is to eliminate preventable infant deaths in York County due to unsafe sleep practices through:

1. Dissemination of information on SIDS and safe infant sleep practices
2. Distribution of a safe infant crib to families in need.

Education continues to be a crucial component of the Cribs for Kids Program. Participants receive a brochure on ways to reduce the risk of SIDS, and a brochure outlining a safe sleep environment for infants. On receiving the Pac ‘N’ Play they also receive additional materials to reinforce this critical message. In this manner, relevant health education is directly disseminated to program participants and their family, friends, and community.

Home Inspections

Three of our partner organizations currently provide home safety inspections. Head
Start of York County, Catholic Charities and Nurse Family Partnership provide home inspections as part of the case management of at-risk children. The York City Fire Department also provides a fire safety inspection and currently provides smoke detectors to eligible city residents. The York City Bureau of Health provides home safety materials as part of their First Time Expectant Mothers Childbirth class.

Other Partner Activities

Individual coalition members and their representative agencies provide information and/or safety tools on home safety, fire safety, gun locks, and child identification. For
2008, SK York County plans to conduct more rigorous collection of individual member activities and corresponding data.

Kids First York County

WellSpan Health
Community Health Improvement
1101 S. Edgar Street
Suite F
York PA 17403

Phone: 717-851-3222
Fax: 717-851-3235
Toll Free: 1-888-232-SAFE (7233)
email

Map and driving directions