Car Seat Program

Parents in Kosciusko County who can't afford car seats for their infants or toddlers no longer have an excuse to violate the law.

To make sure children travel safely, Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service in Warsaw started a program last summer that provides loaner car seats to qualifying parents for a minimal $10 deposit.

Previously done mostly through word of mouth, the program recently got a boost when a funding grant through Indiana's Government Council on Dangerous and Impaired Driving was approved, said MTEMS executive director Cindy Dobbins.

While MTEMS has not yet received the grant, Dobbins said, they already have about 80 car seats to distribute, and have loaned out 16 since last summer.

Dobbins said the Red Cross offered a similar program but discontinued it several years ago. "Then Kosciusko County had several deaths because of kids not being properly restrained," she said. The MTEMS staff decided to take action to prevent more deaths that could have been avoided.

In January 1994 a 3-month-old baby was killed when the car seat in which she was placed was not properly fastened in the car. The car door opened, the car seat fell out and the child was hit.

In May 1994 a 3-year-old was killed when he fell out of a van in which he was riding, unrestrained, and was run over by the van as it turned a corner.

"It behooves us to be proactive," Dobbins said. "We're usually cleaning up the aftermath."

Besides loaning car seats to parents, MTEMS personnel offer safety inspections for seats that are already installed, Dobbins said.

"About three out of four seats could be installed more safely," she said. "Usually there is some little tip we can offer that can make it a little safer." She said they hope to offer safety inspections once a month during spring and summer.

Referrals for parents who need car seats but can't afford them are done through the county health department's Well Child Care clinic, said Lisa Smith of Community Health Services.

When parents show up at MTEMS for their car seat, they must go through a one-hour training program, which includes a video and installation demonstrations.

The loan of the car seat may be renewed every six months as long as the parents bring the seat back, in the car, so the MTEMS staff can make sure the seat is still installed properly and that the straps are not frayed and the seat is in good shape.

Dobbins said they encourage people whose car seat has been through an accident to return the seat for a new one.

MTEMS also makes car seats available on a short-term basis to families who may have children coming to visit but don't want to invest in a car seat. The deposit for that service also is $10, and the money is reimbursed when the seat is returned.

As an offshoot of the program, MTEMS staff members are branching out into prenatal classes at Kosciusko Community Hospital beginning Wednesday, offering instruction in child restraint laws and airbags.

Indiana law requires children under age 3 to be restrained in an approved car seat, and children ages 3 and 4 to be in a car seat or seat belt. KCH requires all new parents to take their babies home in approved car seats. "The challenge is trying to fit the car seat into the car - every car is so different," Dobbins said. "Once they have their baby we encourage them to come in and let us look at the seat installation."

Bringing in both parents has an added benefit for the MTEMS staff, Dobbins said: "That way we get to see their babies, too."