Kohl's Cares, Children's of Alabama Provides Child Passenger Safety Resources in East Alabama

BIRMINGHAM (Aug. 25, 2020) – In partnership with Kohl’s Cares, Children’s of Alabama is providing child passenger safety resources for families in Lee County. The program is administered by Alabama Safe Kids, a division of Children’s of Alabama which works to address preventable injuries in children and youth across the state.

The Alabama Safe Kids staff began working with the East Alabama Mental Health Center Family & Children’s Services in June 2020 to pilot a virtual child passenger safety session to train adults on installing and checking a booster seat. This session was held for staff at the center, who provide home visits for at-risk families, in addition to other services. This training prepared the staff to check and install booster seats for the families they assist who have children ages 4-10.

Vehicular fatalities are the single largest category of deaths under 18, according to the most recent Alabama Child Death Review System Report. Through the Alabama Safe Kids partnership with Kohl’s Cares, they provided 70 booster seats in August 2020, which will then be distributed to families in need in East Alabama. A correctly installed child passenger safety restraint, such as a car seat or booster seat, can reduce the risk of serious injury in an accident by over 50 percent.

Through the Kohl’s Cares Program, Alabama Safe Kids provides safety tools and training related to child passenger safety, teen driving, all-terrain vehicle use, and other injury prevention topics.