Safe Kids Southeast Iowa

Safe Kids Southeast Iowa

A coalition of local agencies and organizations working together to reduce accidental deaths and injuries to children in Southeast Iowa.

The injury prevention programs are funded mostly by in-kind contributions by the organizations or individuals involved. Safe Kids Southeast Iowa receives grant money from Safe Kids Worldwide and Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau. Also a big THANK YOU goes to our past contributors to programs: Burlington Community Schools, Burlington Kiwanis, Deery Brothers, Fun City, GE Elfuns, General Motors, K-Mart, Fed Ex, and Vista Bakery.

Iowa Child Restraint Law
(Iowa Code 321.446, Data Code 198a) - as of July 1, 2004

Key Points

• A child under 1 year old and weighing less than 20 lbs. must be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system
• A child under 6 years old must be secured in a child restraint system (a safety seat or booster seat--NOT a seat belt)
• A child from the age of 6 up to the age of 11 must be secured in a child restraint system or by a safety belt

A Citation may be issued to the driver if a child passenger is:

• Under the age of 3 and not in a child restraint system
• Between 3 and 6 years of age and not in a child restraint system or wearing a seat belt
• Age 6 or older and not wearing a seat belt while sitting in the front seat
• The misdemeanor fine is $25, plus costs (nonmoving violation)
• The law applies to both residents and nonresidents of Iowa
• Non-use of a child restraint is probable cause to stop a vehicle

Short Safety Videos

Cars and Unsupervised Kids Can Be A Dangerous Mix

Safe Kids USA has posted several short safety videos on You Tube. Now that it's back-to-school time, pedestrian safety is very important. So please take the time to watch Safe Kids volunteers give parents tips on keeping kids safer! Many of these stories are from parents that had children who survived an accidental injury. They're sharing their stories so that what happened to their children won't happen to yours. Start with "Spot the Tot."
To see a list of the videos, click HERE!

Safe Kids Worldwide Celebrates 20 Years

This year’s Safe Kids Week’s theme was “20 Years of Preventing Accidental Injuries to Children”. Nationwide activities were supported by sponsoring Johnson & Johnson.

Accidental injury death rate of children 14 and under down by
45% since 1987, says Safe Kids USA 20th anniversary report.

But accidental injury remains #1 killer of kids National report findings

A comprehensive national report was undertaken by Safe Kids USA. Entitled Report to the Nation: Trends in Unintentional Childhood Injury Mortality and Parental Views on Child Safety, the report examines accidental injury in the United States. The report’s findings include:

Parents are not always taking the right steps every time their child is at risk of injury. For example, 31 percent of households with children do not consistently ensure their children ride in the back seat of a car all the time and 24 percent do not consistently supervise their children around the water all the time.

Special 10 Year Recognition

Child Passenger Safety Technician Update, Des Moines, IA: Safe Kids member, Mary Margaret Wagner and 9 others, were recognized for maintaining their certification the 10 years since the first technician certification course was held in Iowa. The 5- day course was held in Des Moines, Oct., 1998. As part of her job at Des Moines Co. Health Dept., she began learning and working with car seat safety issues in Oct., 1994. She organized Burlington’s very first car seat check-up event held in Sept., 1995 at K-Mart. Thirty-five car seats were checked at that event, and we’re still keeping kids safe,
“One car seat at a time!”

Safe Kids Volunteer

As Coordinator of Safe Kids Southeast Iowa Coalition, I want to recognize Nancy Batt for the many hours and days she spends volunteering for Safe Kids programs. Nancy works “behind the scenes” with me gathering materials for programs such as Safety Day and Safety Town. Since April Nancy measured and fit bicycle helmets on over 3 hundred children (Bicycle Rodeo, Bicycle Criterion races, Safety Town, Burlington School bicycle helmet give-a-way).

Jeannette Fry, Coordinator

Caring CommUNITY Grant

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) wants to help you protect your children by teaching them to be safer and make smart decisions. The best way to combat sexual exploitation and abduction is to prevent it.

Learn More

Safe Kids Tidbits

• Summer 2008
• January 2008

Safe Kids Are No Accident!

Five leading risk areas for children 14 and under.

• Traffic Injuries
• Drownings
• Fires and Scald Burns
• Choking and Poisoning
• Falls

Car Seat Program

Seat Smarts

Safe Kids Southeast Iowa

This program is made possible by a
Caring CommUNITY Empowerment Grant.

Led By: Young House Family Services

Other coalitions in Iowa

• Iowa Health System

  Safe Kids Iowa

  Des Moines, Iowa
• Blank Children's Hospital
  Safe Kids Des Moines

  Des Moines, Iowa
• Mercy Iowa City
  Safe Kids Johnson County

  Iowa City, Iowa
• Uof I Children's Hospital
  Iowa City, Iowa