Photo caption: Fond du Lac County is fortunate to have four certified child passenger safety technicians to help parents ensure child car seats are safely utilized. In addition, thanks to a safety grant, eligible families facing financial barriers can access free child car seats. A few of the available car seats are shown with (left to right) Devan Nehls, Jason Roberts, Jennie Mildebrandt, and Maria Vossekuil.
Each year, thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe. In addition, four out of five car seats are not used or installed correctly. Because so many different seats are on the market, many parents find this overwhelming. The good news is that help is available locally through SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac Fire Rescue. Before parents travel with their child or children, it’s important to have a child’s seat checked for free by a certified child passenger safety technician. Certified technicians can help make sure a car seat is properly installed. They will teach parents so that they can always be sure any car seat is used correctly. This free service is available for all Fond du Lac County residents. Thanks to a $4,000 Bureau of Transportation safety grant, Fond du Lac County has access to a variety of child car seats for eligible families facing financial barriers. Child car seats are not all the same. The type of seat a child needs depends on several things, including the child’s age, size, and developmental needs. So, it’s important to read the vehicle owner’s manual and the car safety seat manual each time the seat is installed. All parents can benefit from getting professional installation help to ensure that their child’s seat is properly installed. SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac currently has two certified child passenger safety technicians, and the Fond du Lac Fire Rescue has two. A complete safety check takes 30 to 40 minutes. To access certified child passenger safety technicians within SSM Health, call 920-926-5774 for Maria Vossekuil, Fond du Lac, or email Devan Nehls, Waupun, at devan.nehls@ssmhealth.com. At the Fond du Lac Fire Rescue, Jason Roberts and Jennie Mildebrandt offer these services within the Community Risk Reduction department. Call 920-322-3808 for an appointment. “This resource is crucial for our families who face financial barriers,” according to Vossekuil. “The funding for Fond du Lac County has blessed us with the ability to lift that financial burden for many families by not only offering a free safety seat to eligible families, but also educating on the proper use and installation of that seat. “This really can empower that family that they are not only making a choice to actively participate in their child’s care, but also promote their safety,” Vossekuil adds. “It can also allow them to breathe that sigh of relief when they know they can allot that money to other monthly expenses such as food, clothing, gas, etc. To a family that is facing financial hardships, every little bit helps!” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Safe Kids Worldwide jointly offer a standardized course to teach a variety of professionals how to help parents do a better job of protecting their children by developing technical skills regarding child passenger protection, identifying misuse and correcting it, becoming a community resource, educating others in child passenger safety issues, and reducing potential liability. This course involves hands-on experience, critiquing and installing car seats. Individuals who complete the course and pass required testing will become entry-level technicians certified for two years by Safe Kids Worldwide. “As an emergency department nurse, traffic accidents are sometimes out of our control,” Nehls explains. “But as a parent, ensuring your child is safely secured in the car seat preventing a major injury is something we can control. I look forward to how many families we can impact providing car seat education and assistance in our community.”
