Many parents, grandparents, and babysitters put the children they love into car seats when they take them places, thinking that they are safe. In many instances, however, car seats are installed incorrectly, leaving children in danger of severe injury in the event of a car accident.
Hoping to prevent such disasters, a car seat clinic will be held during the Cook County Fair, on August 21, 2010 at the Grand Marais Fire Hall. Everyone who has a car seat for transporting children is invited to have the installation of that car seat checked by a trained and certified inspector between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. that day.
Making this clinic possible is the Cook County Head and Butt Fund that was recently established with a grant from the North Shore Health Care Foundation.
The Head and Butt Fund’s purpose is the development of a sustainable program that would provide safety equipment to all Cook County children who are in need of it. Its philosophy is that every child has the right to grow up safe, healthy and injury free. The vision is to improve health, safety, and quality of life through education and community service.
This new program, a partnership between the North Shore Hospital & Care Center and Cook County Ambulance, will provide a child passenger safety restraint (CPSR) or bicycle helmet to every child who needs one. It will also help fund staff who can recruit and train volunteers to go into places such as schools, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) classes, and fairs to educate the public about safety needs in Cook County.
Within a span of nine months, 16 car seats have been given away.
For more information on car seat inspections, the car seat clinic, or child safety, contact Christine Kunze, LPN, at 387-3040 (ext. 243).
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