HealthNet is celebrating because of a grant we received from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. The Child Restraint Distribution Grant program provided us with funding to purchase and distribute infant car seats to expecting mothers enrolled in our Better Indy Babies Program who cannot afford one.

In celebration of National Child Passenger Safety Week, we held two car seat clinics this week at our Eastside Health Center on 8902 East 38th Street and Barrington Health & Dental Center at 3401 East Raymond Street. Our BIBs staff, who are certified child passenger safety technicians, were able to educate and distribute approximately 40 infant car seats between these two centers.

Many of these women that participate in our BIBs program cannot afford to purchase a car seat and often resort to using or borrowing one that is not functional or safe, or none at all. This program will allow these women to have the correct seat needed once the baby is born and they will be educated on its proper installation, reducing the risk of injury or death in the event of an accident.

Did you know??

• Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for children 1 to 13 in the United States.
• In 2011, there were 5,191 children age 0-15 involved in collisions in Indiana. Of that number, 38 children involved in motor vehicle collisions were killed.
• Children less than one year old are 12.5 times more likely to be seriously injured if not properly restrained, those ages 1 to 3 are 4.3 times more likely, and those 4 to 7 are 4.4 times more likely to be seriously injured if unrestrained.
• Nationally 3 out of 4 car seats are not used correctly!

That’s why safety events like National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 16-22, and HealthNet’s car seat clinics are so important to help parents and caregivers learn how to choose the right car seat, how to use them properly, and to ensure the seats they are using are installed correctly.

Is YOUR child’s car seat is installed correctly?

Take 15 minutes and find out. Conduct an at-home checkup using this Safe Kids downloadable checklist!

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Want to support a family in need by helping them to receive a car seat?
A $75 donation can go toward the purchase of a car seat for Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families to distribute while giving instruction on the proper use. Click here to donate and help keep all of Indianapolis’ children safe.