Monday, December 2, 2013

Importance of Car Seat Safety Stressed


Child car seat safety is important to most parents but to Daniel and Kristen Icard it is doubly important.  As the parents of two young children they want their children to be safe at all times while riding in the car.

When Kristen was pregnant with her first child she bought the best and safest seat but recognized that the seat was only safe if it was properly installed.  Kristen visited the Alexander County Partnership for Children for a car seat inspection.  As a United Way of Alexander County funded agency, the Partnership for Children serves as a car seat inspection site.  Studies have shown that over 70% of child car seats are installed improperly. 

When Kristen was pregnant with her second child she knew that a properly installed car seat was important in preparation for bringing home her son from the hospital.  A few weeks before the baby was due she made an appointment and stopped in to insure the car seat was installed properly.  A certified car seat technician made some minor adjustments and Kristen rested easy knowing that her newborn would be riding safely.   When asked about the car seat inspection program at the Partnership for Children Kristen quickly responded, “I can definitely say that I would be lost without this service. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person however, car seat installation baffles me! My husband and I both are afraid that we would do it incorrectly. When it comes to the safety of your kids, you want everything to be perfect. We didn't want to take the chance of installing the car seat improperly... So we took them to the experts. There is definitely a sense of comfort and security knowing that your children are safe in their car seats! I insisted that any family member that transported my children to have their car seat installed or checked at the Partnership. I'm very thankful that we have this service in Alexander County!”

Many times car seat inspections become a family event at the Partnership for Children.  Parents come in and have a car seat inspected and then the grandparents will come in.  Joe and Renee Williams, grandparents, expressed appreciation for the service.   Kristen’s mom, Renee Williams, also stops by and has her car seat inspected periodically.  She explained, “My daughter Kristen and son-in-law Daniel insisted that we go to the Partnership to have the car seat installed. When it comes to the safety of the grandchildren, there is no reason not to go to the Partnership! They are the experts!”

Children riding safely is important to the Alexander County Partnership for Children, an agency passionate about inspecting as many car seats as possible to ensure that children are safe and adequately protected while traveling on the roads and highways.  The goal of the Partnership for Children car seat program is to increase parent education while emphasizing the importance of inspections by offering on-site clinics at child care facilities and participating in community awareness events to reach out to the citizens of Alexander County.  If seats are found to be improper they are replaced through United Way funding.  The car seat inspection and replacement program is a free service to Alexander County residents.

Susan Cogdill, Executive Director of the Alexander County Partnership for Children, expressed her appreciation to the United Way of Alexander County.  “Without United Way funding our agency would simply not be able to offer this valuable service to the citizens of Alexander County.  Like many nonprofits in Alexander and across North Carolina, our agency has suffered budget cuts that limit our ability to provide necessary services.  With United Way funding the Partnership for Children continues to ensure that children are riding safely.”