Financially eligible Worth County families can receive free child passenger safety seats, thanks to 2014 Car Seat Mini-Grants from the Injury Prevention Program of the Georgia Department of Public Health.
“The car seat mini-grant program is a wonderful opportunity to help reduce the number of child deaths from motor vehicle crashes,” said Worth County Health Department Nurse Manager Gina Connell. “We are very pleased to partner with the City of Sylvester Fire Department on this project.”
Connell said the mini-grant does more than provide free car seats, it also allows for instructors to teach parents and care-givers how to properly install them. To learn more about eligibility, time and place of the classes, contact the health department.
Connell cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that car seats reduce fatal injuries in passenger cars by 71% among infants and by 54% among children aged 1 to 4.
“Car seats offer the best protection for children in the event of a crash, and they are most effective when installed and used correctly,” Connell said. “Unfortunately, three out of every four car seats are not properly used, which reduces their effectiveness.”
To learn if you are eligible for a free car seat, contact the Worth County Health Department at 777-2150. Thirteen of Southwest Health District’s 14 county health departments received the car seat mini-grants. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
