Motor Vehicle Safety: Evolution of a Public/Private Partnershp into a County-wide Technical Assistance Program

background/purpose:

To (1) establish a working partnership between the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) to expand the reach of car seat distribution and safety education through car seat check-ups and classes and (2) develop a public/private partnership into a pilot program to enhance community capacity to provide education and distribute car seats through training and technical assistance.

 

methods:

A joint partnership between DPH and CHLA is developed to distribute 1,000 seats in Los Angeles County to prevent injuries and deaths associated with the non-use and improper use of car seats.  At least one car seat check-up event and one class will be conducted in each of the five supervisorial districts in Los Angeles County. Certified car passenger safety technicians will conduct each check-up event and classes will be taught from a standard curriculum.

results:

The 1,000 seats have been successfully distributed throughout Los Angeles County within all 5 supervisorial districts. From the collaboration, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles now provides technical assistance to an established county wide program. The capacity for seat distribution and technical assistance has been doubled in the vast county.

conclusion:

The partnership proved to be successful in expanding the knowledge and resources of a pertinent topic in injury prevention. Instead of focusing on one geographical area or SES status, an entire county population was reached. The collaboration served to leverage resources and expand the reach beyond what any one program could provide alone.