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| Practice Type: |
Promising |
| Program Name: |
School Based Booster Seat Program |
| Organization: |
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| Web site: |
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| Overview: |
The goal of this program is to increase booster seat usage among children in the Murray School district by 10 percent. The objectives include:
- Provide training to parents of kindergarten children on the appropriate use and installation of booster seats;
- Provide booster seats to low income families for no cost through the schools and low cost through the Health Department’s car seat program;
- Provide materials for parents to talk to their children about using booster seats and seat belts; and
- Provide activities for the children to encourage them to use booster seats.
The outcomes of the practice include:
- 300 parents were taught how to safely transport their kindergarten children (as well as their other children) by properly using a car seat or booster seat, and how to determine when their children are big enough to use a seat belt;
- 80 low-income families received a free car seat and training on proper installation and use;
- 484 kindergarten students, 454 first graders and 478 second graders, for a total of 1446 students, were taught that booster seats aren’t baby seats, they are in fact, cool to ride in; and
- 1446 students were sworn in as Family Safety Officers and given the assignment to talk to their parents, family and friends about wearing seat belts.
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| Year Submitted: |
2006 |
| Responsiveness and Innovation: |
The health issue addressed is the low use of booster seats for children five years and older. Current Utah Law requires that children use car seats until they are five years old. Because of this law, parents think their children are safe in seat belts only when they turn five. Booster seat usage rate in the target area, Murray City, is only 19.9 percent, 42 percent are using seat belts and 38 percent are not restrained.
Staff conducted observational surveys at schools and other agencies or businesses patronized by families with small children to determine booster seat use.
This comprehensive program provides education and training for community leaders, the police department, school administrators and staff, parents of small children and the children themselves. The program has provided no cost or low cost booster seat to families that can’t afford them and developed tools to help parents and children talk about booster seats.
The community is currently trying to pass booster seat legislation and it looks like it will pass. Therefore, the program will have to educate and train parents and traffic law enforcement statewide about the proper use of boosters. The program is a great blueprint for that process.
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| Agency and Community Roles: |
The LHD's role in this practice:
- Coordinating the program with the school district, community and the police department.
- Provided booster seat installation training to school social workers.
- Provided booster seat program training to police department.
- Designed and printed “Family Safety Officer “ ticket book.
- Wrote and published “Riding Safety in the Car” book.
- Conducted booster seat training for parents at kindergarten orientation.
- Providing low cost car seats and appointment for parents to learn proper car seat installation.
The role of the stakeholders in the planning and implementation include:
- School district staff reviewed and approved kindergarten orientation program.
- School district staff reviewed and approved ticket book and booster reading book.
- School Principals added us to the kindergarten orientation agenda.
- School social workers were trained and distributed boosters to low income families.
- Police officers adapted their school programs to include boosters/seat belts.
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| Costs and Expenditures: |
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| Implementation: |
The health issue addressed is the low use of booster seats for children five years and older. Current Utah Law requires that children use car seats until they are five years old. Because of this law, parents think their children are safe in seat belts only when they turn five. Booster seat usage rate in the target area, Murray City, is only 19.9 percent, 42 percent are using seat belts and 38 percent are not restrained.
Staff conducted observational surveys at schools and other agencies or businesses patronized by families with small children to determine booster seat use.
This comprehensive program provides education and training for community leaders, the police department, school administrators and staff, parents of small children and the children themselves. The program has provided no cost or low cost booster seat to families that can’t afford them and developed tools to help parents and children talk about booster seats.
The community is currently trying to pass booster seat legislation and it looks like it will pass. Therefore, the program will have to educate and train parents and traffic law enforcement statewide about the proper use of boosters. The program is a great blueprint for that process.
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| Sustainability: |
The LHD is helping the schools/communities look for resources and apply for funding for safety programs. The agency can no longer offer free booster seats, but there is a large grant from Utah Highway Safety that allows the provision of low cost booster seats/car seats to families that qualify. LHD staff is looking for sponsors to pay printing costs for the ticket book and the reading book and continues to work with community leaders to form a “Safety Community” task force to take a lead in researching and implementing safety programs based on the Booster Program model.
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| Lessons Learned: |
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