Buckle Up Right, Every Trip, Every Time
The Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH), Injury Prevention Program is pleased to announce that Safe Kids Cobb and Safe Kids Douglas have been named 2015 recipients of the Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant. The Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant program helps county health departments and their community partners reduce the number of injuries and deaths among children in Georgia. This year’s $161,000 state-wide award will be used to support the purchase of car seats to be distributed in 137 Georgia counties. Funding for these efforts is provided by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).
Since 2007, at least 283 children in Georgia who were involved in crashes were saved from serious injury or death by car seats, booster seats, and education provided through the Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant. “Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children and it’s up to all of us to do everything we can to protect our children on the road,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Buckling up our children is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries.”
Throughout Georgia, DPH and county health departments work with community partners to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use car seats, offer car seat inspections and provide car seats and booster seats to financially eligible families. Through the Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant, agencies supporting more than 135 counties are working to keep Georgia’s children safe. These programs help families get their children buckled up right, every trip, every time.
DPH takes great pride in providing opportunities to enhance community outreach programs in Georgia. Through our collective efforts, we can make considerable strides in achieving our goals. For more information on the child Occupant Safety Project in Cobb or Douglas Counties, please email viva.price@dph.ga.gov or call 770-852-3285.
About the Georgia Department of Public Health
The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead agency in preventing disease, injury and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for and responding to disasters from a health perspective. In 2011, the General Assembly restored DPH to its own state agency after more than 30 years of consolidation with other departments. At the state level, DPH functions through numerous divisions, sections, programs and offices. Locally, DPH funds and collaborates with Georgia’s 159 county health departments and 18 public health districts. Through the changes, the mission has remained constant – to protect the lives of all Georgians. Today, DPH’s main functions include: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Infectious Disease and Immunization, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Emergency Medical Services, Pharmacy, Nursing, Volunteer Health Care, the Office of Health Equity, Vital Records, and the State Public Health Laboratory. For more information about DPH, visit www.dph.ga.gov.
For more information regarding Safe Kids, visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org or www.safekids.org.