One of the greatest acts of community service a children's hospital can perform is to give families the tools they need to keep their kids out of the hospital.

 

Accordingly, local children such as Camila and Armeria (pictured below left) are routinely examined—not by a physician at the hospital, but by a certified child passenger safety seat technician trained in proper installation and use of car seats and booster seats.

 

"The leading cause of death in children—by far—is unintentional injury," says Nan Peterson, RN, MS, American Family Children's Hospital's Child Health Advocacy Manager.

 

"As a major children's hospital, it is our responsibility to advocate for children's health and well-being in the community and the state. Programs such as our weekly car seat checks help keep our kids safe, reducing the number of injuries and young lives taken from motor vehicle crashes, bicycle injuries, fire, drowning, poisoning or falling."

 

Peterson remembers only a generation ago, when very few injury-prevention devices were commonplace, and those that existed paled in comparison to the quality of today's car seats, bike helmets and other home safety products.

 

A few tireless advocates for child safety—often housed at leading children's hospitals—deserve much of the credit for the thousands of lives that have been saved as a result of these measures.

 

Since 1997, American Family Children's Hospital has been the lead agency of the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition, a partnership of citizens, local healthcare, fire departments, law enforcement and other agencies working collaboratively to prevent unintentional childhood injury.

 

At the weekly car seat clinics located throughout Dane County, parents sign up in advance for drive-up appointments at which car/booster seats are checked for correct installation and usage.

 

A 3-year grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program ensures that families with limited resources have improved access to restraint devices and education, by removing financial, cultural and language barriers.

 

"Part of what makes this program so special is the collaboration among so many community-minded organizations," Peterson says. "From public health to law enforcement and fire services, everyone really brings their 'A' game to pull this off, knowing that families who might otherwise leave their child at higher risk are well protected."