Providing opportunities: The Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Program, Riverside County, California

Since 1993, Riverside County Department of Public Health Injury Prevention Services (RCIPS) has provided low-cost car seats for County residents. In the state of California, children under age six who weigh less than 60 pounds must be restrained in a child restraint system while in a vehicle. RCIPS discovered that due to a lack of funding and program regulations, it was nearly impossible for parents/guardians of children with special medical, physical or emotional needs who could not safely use conventional car seats to find low-cost specialized restraint systems. This presentation will describe the process used to create a unique and successful program to provide specialized restraint systems for children with special needs. RCIPS used funds from a combination of state and federal grants and created the Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Program to pay for systems that meet the unique needs of these children. Since the program's inception, RCIPS has served more than 250 special needs children. Prior to this service, parents/guardians of these children could not legally and safely transport their child and hence were restricted in their movement. RCIPS has provided these children a seat that meets their needs. Moreover, parents/guardians gain an added sense of security knowing that their children are properly restrained in a vehicle and the basic right to provide their children with a safe method of transportation that was not available to them prior to the inception of this program.