Providing Access to Child Passenger Restraint Information: Is there a Role for Elementary Schools and Daycare Facilities?

Abstract

The correct and appropriate use of a child passenger restraint system can increase the likelihood of a child surviving a motor vehicle crash and avoiding serious injury. Despite the benefits of the use of child passenger restraints, many parents do not use them correctly or at all, and one barrier that has prevented some parents from the correct use of passenger restraints for their children is not receiving updated information about correct use as their child grows up (Macy, Cunningham, Resnicow & Freed, 2014). This project was conducted at an elementary school and multiple daycare centers associated with an early childhood development program in eastern North Carolina. The purpose was to evaluate the need for an ongoing process at the elementary school and daycare facilities that could increase awareness and educate parents and guardians about appropriate use of passenger restraints as children grow. Collaboration with key informants included the daycare providers, a child care health consultant, the school nurse, administrators, teachers and staff at the school. The two objectives of this project were (1) to complete an evaluation of current practices for providing educational information to parents and guardians in the school and daycare facilities, and (2) to make recommendations, based on best practices, regarding the feasibility of establishing a process that would provide information on child passenger restraints through these facilities. It was found that little was being done to share child passenger safety information with parents, although facility and school staff stated that they would be willing to provide such information. Of 50 parents contacted by facility care providers, 52% had not received child passenger safety information in the last year, and 76% indicated they would like to receive more information. Based on the findings of the evaluation, recommendations were shared with daycare providers and elementary school teachers to establish a process to provide child passenger restraint information to parents.